Halfway to Repentance
by angel eyes1 uk
Summary: AH. Wild Westward. City girl, Isabella, joins her father, Sheriff Swan, in the small town of New Volterra, Arizona. Kidnapped by bandits, she's rescued by the dangerous and rugged Edward Masen.
1. Chapter 1

**Halfway to Repentance**

**AH. Wild Westward. City girl, Isabella, joins her father, Sheriff Swan, in the small town of New Volterra, Arizona. Kidnapped by bandits, she's rescued by the dangerous and rugged Edward Masen. But is he her knight-in-shining armor, or as bad as the bandits he saved her from?**

_I do not own Twilight or 3:10 to Yuma. If I did? Well..._

_Just a little something I came up with after watching the music video for "Blaze of Glory" by Bon Jovi. __Thank you to WolfGirlAtHeart__ for tackling this monster despite being heavily pregnant. Lots of love xoxo_

_This was originally planned as a one shot, but due to the sheer size of it, I've chopped into a much more manageable eight shot. I intend on posting a new part each day starting on Tuesday 13__th__ September 2011._

~X~

**I KNOW YOU NEVER READ AUTHOR'S NOTES, BUT READ THIS ONE. I HAVE HAD A VERY BAD RESPONSE TO THE WAY I WRAPPED UP THIS FIC, AND ALTHOUGH I DON'T WANT TO GIVE SPOILERS, CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED THAT THERE WILL BE CHARACTER DEATHS, AND NOT JUST MINOR CHARACTERS. **

**THOUGH MOST OF THE FIC IS CANON PAIRINGS, SOME HAVE OBJECTED TO MY USE OF WHAT THEY CONSIDER NON-CANON PAIRINGS-IN MY MIND, HOWEVER, I'M JUST ECHOING CANON. IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE ANYTHING OTHER THAN EXB AND NOTHING ELSE, THIS ISN'T FOR YOU.**

**I BELIEVE IN REALISTICALLY EVER AFTER, NOT FAIRY TALES. THIS IS SET IN THE WILD WEST, SO DON'T GO EXPECTING SPARKLY FLUFF. WHEN I WRITE, I'M HEAVY ON THE ANGST.  
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**IF IN DOUBT, AND IF YOU'RE UNFAMILIAR WITH BLAZE OF GLORY AND 3:10 TO YUMA, PLEASE GOOGLE THEM QUICKLY BEFORE PROCEEDING. ALSO, IF YOU'RE THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO IS GOING TO LEAVE A REVIEW WITH A DEATH THREAT OR A RUDE NAME, PLEASE _DO NOT_ READ ANY FURTHER.**

PS. THERE IS NO IMMACULATE CONCEPTION IN THIS FIC. IT WAS NEVER ENVISAGED AS A LEMON FIC, THOUGH THERE ARE SOME SCENES OF SEXUALITY.

~X~

**PART ONE**

~X~

Arizona, 1877

As Bella stepped foot onto the sandy wooden platform, she held her handkerchief over her mouth and coughed. Though she'd already felt the dry heat in the train, here in the open sun she was almost melting. What little air her corset allowed her to take into her lungs just didn't seem enough and she felt suffocated.

Inside, she felt as if she wanted to cry. The last place in the world Isabella Swan wanted to be right now was in New Volterra, Arizona, but here she was.

Still, well brought up ladies shouldn't stand and cry on platforms, and so she gathered together her large pile of luggage. Bella gave the conductor a few coins and a condescending smile for his trouble in helping her off the train, which he gratefully accepted.

It was then that she saw her father making his way towards her. Though it had been many years since Bella had seen Charles Swan, there was no mistaking his serious expression, thick black moustache, and of course, the same eyes that stared back at Bella whenever she looked in the mirror.

"Hey, Bells," he greeted her gruffly as he grew close.

"Hello, Father." Bella pushed the mahogany ringlets that were blowing around her face out of the way, and her eyes automatically dropped to her father's outfit—the functional attire of local law enforcement, complete with the polished golden star that proclaimed his position as sheriff.

He wasted no time in taking charge of her belongings, and then led her through the wooden ticket office and out the other side, where a rickety old wagon was waiting for them.

Bella's white-gloved hand rose to her mouth in horror, but then she dropped it back to her side. There was no point in being upset in the manner with which she was to be transported—after all, this wasn't New York, and she would have to get used to it.

Remembering her previous life as a city girl, living with her mother and all modern conveniences, Bella felt a pang in her chest but soon swallowed it down. After Renee Swan's fall from grace, there was no future for her back there—Bella's reputation had been tarnished with her Mother's when her parent had run away with a young man almost the same age as Bella herself, creating quite the scandal.

She looked over at her father. Did he seem heartbroken? He had faithfully provided for his wife and daughter through the years, but he had rarely come to visit. Bella's mother had told her that she couldn't face leaving the big city to be a sheriff's wife in the middle of nowhere, and Sheriff Swan didn't want to leave the only life that he knew. On the few occasions he had come to New York, he'd seemed like a fish out of water.

Why her parents had married in the first place, Bella could never quite understand. She guessed that it showed exactly why one had to be prudent when it came to choosing a husband or wife. Love often wasn't enough, and money certainly wasn't everything—there had to be compatibility of temperament.

Climbing aboard the wagon after her father had loaded all her earthly belongings, Bella looked around the place that was now to be her home and wondered how on earth she was going to find a suitable husband _here_.

~x~

An hour later, Charlie Swan turned the wagon onto the dusty track that led down to the main house. Bells had hardly spoken a word since he'd picked her up and not used to speaking to women, Charlie hadn't exactly been conversant himself.

The sun was beginning to set and it cast an orange glow over the home he knew and loved. He hoped that, with time, his daughter might grow to love it, too. Right now, she seemed less than impressed.

Though he hadn't played much of a part in her upbringing, he could tell that Bells was more like him than Renee. It was obvious, however, that Isabella Swan was a city girl; it was going to be a difficult transition to life out here in the West. Looking over at her gloved hands, he wondered whether she was going to be the type to pitch in and help like the women born and bred into this life, or whether she was going to be the lady her mother had always wanted to be.

Hmmm—some lady she turned out to be.

One thing was for sure, Bells certainly wasn't the little girl he remembered. Given his knowledge of the local male population, he wasn't sure how happy he was to see her all grown up.

As he brought the wagon to a halt, Harry and Billy came out of the house to lend a hand. Young Jacob came soon after, and offered his hand to help his daughter down.

"Oh!" Bella quickly pulled her hand back.

"Ah, Bella. This is Jacob—Jacob Black Wolf." Charlie Swan scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, they're Native Americans—good workers that I met during my time up North...and my friends. This is Billy Black Wolf, Jacob's father, and Harry Clear Water."

The three red-skinned men nodded their heads in Bella's direction, and hesitantly, Bella put her hand in Jacob's. She had never seen an American Indian before—though she'd read a lot about them. The papers said that they did all kinds of terrible things to homesteaders and prospectors out in the wild. Yet up close, Jacob seemed like any boy approaching manhood, if you could look past the tone of his skin and the long black hair flowing over his shoulders.

"Welcome to New Volterra, Bella." Jacob's English was perfect. He gave her a warm smile as he helped her down—it was impossible for Bella not to return the expression, despite his forward use of her first name. She guessed that he'd gotten that from her father.

~X~

Bella looked down and barely noticed the dust dirtying the hem of her skirt. She had thought this particular outfit was one of her more practical, but in this heat, the heavy deep burgundy material was making her sweat. She didn't want to show weakness in front of Jacob.

He thought she was a poor little rich girl, not here by choice—which was true, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right.

Last night, she'd cried herself to sleep, but after waking up this morning and having the sour-faced Leah Clear Water help her lace up her dress, she'd given herself a shake and a pep talk.

She could do this, and like she'd remembered her father saying to her when she was nothing but a little girl, if you were going to do something, you should always do it well and give it your best shot.

Bella had no other choice but to tackle life out in the sticks and win. She wasn't weak—she'd practically run the household herself back in New York, with an absent father and a mother who really didn't care for much other than socializing and dress shops. There were adjustments to be made, but there was no reason why she couldn't make a home for herself here.

Right now, the first step would be to not let the heat get the better of her while Jacob gave her the tour.

"You okay, Bella? You look a little whiter than usual."

"No, I'm fine, Jacob. It's just a while since I've ridden." Bella took another deep breath and gripped her reins tighter as the corset squeezed her ribs. She brought her horse alongside his. "Tell me more about where you're from."

A white slash stretched across his bronze face—his teeth were remarkably straight and unstained.

"What? You mean up North? I don't really remember." He looked away at the horizon. "I was a baby when my father left the tribe. Mother died and he said that every tree and hill reminded him of her. He came across your father when he was pinned down by a bunch of outlaws, and later, when your father got back in touch and offered him the deputy's job here, he took it. Your father has always been good to us—he treats us like decent human beings. Pays well, too."

Grinning again, he turned and looked back at Bella. "All I remember about where I grew up is how cold and wet it was. You don't get that here, just warmth and sun all the time. This is home to me—this is where I'm meant to be."

They both trotted together until Jacob broke the silence. "What about you? How do you feel about being here? I can imagine it's pretty different from New York."

Bella laughed. "You wouldn't believe how different. You might as well have picked me up and dropped me off on the other side of the world." Bella thought for a while and took a moment to catch her breath before she spoke again. "What is it like in town? The people? The stores?"

"Volterra town? It's decent. The saloon causes your father most of his work. Pretty quiet mostly—this whole area is owned by Aro Volturi, and he and his men don't tolerate anyone getting out of line. He has his own personal army."

Bella listened intently as Jacob described how the Volturi family made sure that anyone causing trouble was swiftly dealt with, often in mysterious circumstances.

"As far as the Wild West goes, you'd struggle to find anywhere safer, I'd say. Most outlaws know better than to try anything here, unless they're stupid."

"Oh, that's reassuring," Bella almost whispered. "Is there a dress shop in town? I think I may need to purchase something a little more...practical—"

With that, the sun finally won out; Bella ungracefully fainted and dropped to the earth.

~X~

The next thing Bella was aware of was distant voices yelling, growing steadily closer and louder. There was a rocking motion and she felt strong, muscular arms around her.

Looking up, Bella met a pair of dark slanted eyes and high cheekbones.

"Don't worry, I've got you. Almost home."

In her heat-exhausted state, Bella forgot that it was rude to stare. "You're kind of beautiful."

Jacob laughed out loud. "How hard did you hit your head, Bella?"

Right then, they reached the commotion and a number of people—male and female—gathered around them.

"Bells! What happened, Jacob?" Bella heard her father's distinctive deep voice.

Jacob explained about her fainting, and that he'd brought both horses and an unconscious Bella back to the house. The chatter never ceased as Jacob was ushered inside, still carrying Bella in his arms. He never faltered or paused as he climbed the stairs and finally laid her on her bed.

"Everyone except Charlie and us women out. Did you hear me, Jacob Black Wolf?"

The woman who took charge of the situation was called Sue Clear Water—Leah's mother. At breakfast, Bella had already gotten the impression that she was a fearsome woman. Even her father sat up and took notice when she spoke.

A damp cloth was applied to Bella's head, and she was given a glass of water. Her city dress was removed, and finally, Bella could breathe again.

"Fancy clothes like this—no wonder you fainted. As soon as you're well, we need to take you into town and get you looking less like your mother and more like a real woman. I'd offer you some of mine or Leah's clothes, but a dainty thing like yourself would never fit—and they might be a little too...rustic compared to what you're used to."

Bella's head felt woozy and all she could do was nod weakly. She wasn't sure whether she was dreaming or not, but she was sure she heard Leah mutter something like, "Spoiled little bitch will never fit in here." Before she could raise her eyebrows in shock, Bella passed out once more.

~X~

Once the doctors had been to visit and given her the all clear—and Sue Clear Water had stopped administering her home remedies—Bella was finally allowed to accompany her father, Harry Clear Water, and Rebecca Black Wolf into town on the old wooden wagon. During the ride, she took the opportunity to ask Rebecca a few questions about her twin sister, Rachel, who had married and moved away.

Bella was becoming fascinated by the two families of Native Americans that her father treated as equals, and was beginning to understand why. Their customs and appearances were exotic, yet to talk with them in regular situations, she could have been speaking to any good Christian, white-skinned person.

The focus of her fascination was quickly centering on Jacob, as he had come to visit and often brought small gifts—wildflowers, a small carved wolf, and a "dream catcher"—which seemed to have done its job when Bella's bad dreams about leaving New York for this uncivilized wild place had vanished. Even better, when he visited, he would regale tales of the legends of his tribe.

Bella was enthralled. Suddenly, the prospect of her new life and her new friendships didn't seem so bad.

After she'd spied him shirtless out of her bedroom window, she'd been having all kinds of inappropriate ideas running through her head. Ideas that had no place in the real world—for all that she was beginning to open her mind to American Indian culture, there was a limit to how far a respectable lady could be expected to embrace it.

Or was there? This was a strange place and she had no idea how these things were viewed here. And there was something about Jacob that made Bella think about embraces in an entirely new light.

Bella shook her head and brought her mind back to the present.

The wagon finally rolled its way into the town and Bella looked on in interest at the people going about their daily business. She noticed that they stared back, and for a while, she wondered if she had sprouted a second head.

It was then that she noticed that there were few other red-skinned people in sight—maybe that was the reason for the stares? Or maybe it was the fact that there was no one else walking around dressed in expensive midnight blue taffeta cut in the latest New York fashion. And who could blame them? Bella was already beginning to feel the heat.

As she disembarked, Rebecca led Bella across the dusty street to the dress shop. A girl with pale blonde hair and what was probably considered to be a fancy dress here looked Bella up and down, sneered, and then walked away—Rebecca introduced her as Miss Lauren Mallory, the daughter of a local rancher.

When Bella entered Newton's Outfitters, she found the other inhabitants of town to be much friendlier. Mrs. Newton buzzed around her, and Bella faced a twenty minute questioning about the latest styles on the East Coast and the dress she was wearing from the dressmaker and another customer, Miss Jessica Stanley, before she was even asked what she wanted.

While Miss Stanley and Mrs. Newton got into a heated debate about what colors went best with Miss Swan's coloring, a quiet girl called Angela finally came over and helped measure Bella up. Miss Stanley and Mrs. Newton had forgotten that Bella existed by the time she'd handed over her father's money and left the store.

Laden with fabric in practical whites, browns, and pale blues, Bella was almost knocked off her feet by a passing gentleman.

"Oh, Miss. I do apologize." The man lifted his hat, exposing neatly styled straight blond hair. His eyes twinkled as he looked her up and down. "Why, you must be Sheriff Swan's daughter. I'm Mike Newton. So very pleased to make your acquaintance. We don't often have the pleasure of entertaining people of your class down here in New Volterra."

Bella smiled nervously and shook his hand. Another gentleman, shorter with dark hair, popped up behind Mr. Newton.

"Eric Yorkie. I run the general store—well, my father does."

A male voice from behind her also introduced himself. "Tyler Crowley. I drive the stage..." The third arrival, instead of shaking Bella's offered hand, chose to kiss it instead.

It all became too much as her impractical dress, the heat, and the crowd began to overwhelm her, but then Bella felt a hand on her elbow.

"Thank you for introducing yourselves, gentlemen, but unless you want my shotgun trained on you, I suggest you give my daughter a little space."

Bella smiled in relief as her father escorted her back across the way to the safety of the wagon. Rebecca took Bella's purchases from her and helped her climb on board.

"Looks like the local eligible bachelors have taken a shine to the city girl, Bella. Maybe we need to train you to use a shotgun to fend them off?" Harry Clear Water joked and then winked in Bella's direction. Bella grinned.

"Most definitely."

"Good idea. Lesson one begins tonight." Something about her father's tone told Bella that he was serious about the rifle lessons. "Harry, take Bella and Rebecca home, and I'll see you all later. Got to keep them outlaws at bay before they overrun the town."

Charlie's moustache twitched, and the tumbleweeds blowing down the dusty main drag emphasized his sarcasm. This quiet, pleasant town was either a testament to his law-keeping skills, or to the fearsome reputation of the Volturis.

The wagon pulled away, and Bella made herself comfortable up front next to Harry as they rumbled their way across the dry landscape. Rebecca sang in the back and the other passengers listened in quiet contentedness.

Making their way through a pair of twin rocks, the moment was shattered when there was a loud crack. A lump from Bella's throat dropped into the pit of her stomach.

"Hold it right there!"

Three riders pulled out from their stone hiding places, their horses twitching nervously. Their faces were covered and hats pulled low, but it was obvious from her voice that the speaker was female, though she dressed like a boy. Around the edge of her hat, Bella could see that the female bandit's hair was red and curly. Her companions were male—one dark skinned, seemingly Mexican from what she could tell, and the other was white with his hair in a dirty-blond ponytail.

"You're making a big mistake. Don't you know you're on Volturi land?" Harry answered calmly, his eyes narrowed. The way he spoke told Bella that this wasn't the first time the Native American had been in a dangerous situation like this.

"We know...but we'll be off Volturi territory before you get the chance to tell anyone what we've done, old man. Now hand over the city slicker and no one gets hurt." This time, the blond man spoke. His voice sent chills down Bella's spine.

"Over my dead body." Harry Clear Water moved quickly, reaching under his seat and pulling out a rifle, but before he had the chance to fire, the girl had lifted her pistol and pulled the trigger. The noise echoed in Bella's ears, and for a moment Bella thought she had missed.

Harry froze and Bella waited for his return shot, but it never came—instead, he rolled sideways and fell to the earth. Rebecca screamed.

The blond bandit trotted over and roughly pulled a stunned Bella from her seat, until she was sat in front of him on his horse.

"Now, don't be giving us any trouble, little miss, because we wouldn't want anyone else to have to die today, would we?"

Bella shuddered as she felt his breath on her ear, unable to take her eyes off the growing patch of red on the front of Harry's beige shirt. Rebecca cried, but then silenced herself as the redhead lifted her pistol in her direction.

The Mexican took a turn to speak. "We can't kill her. We need someone to pass on the message…otherwise we won't get paid."

The red-haired woman said something very unladylike, but the blond man agreed.

"Go back to town." He said to Rebecca with a victorious smile. "Tell the sheriff that we have his fancy daughter, and that if he ever wants to see her again, he'll find a way to get five thousand dollars. Once he's done that, he'll go to a little town called Repentance about eighty miles west of here—I'm sure you've heard of it. In the saloon, he needs to ask for a Riley Biers. Once Riley tells us that Sheriff Swan has held up his side of the bargain, then we'll send back word of where and when he can find his little girl." The blond man spoke as plainly as if he was simply giving directions to the next town over. "Any funny business, Isabella Swan dies. Do you understand?"

Rebecca nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Okay then. Give my regards to the sheriff."

The redhead's horse stepped over Harry Clear Water's body and with a yip, the blond spurred his ride and the three bandits took off at a gallop.


	2. Chapter 2

**Halfway to Repentance**

_I own nothing. Twilight belongs to SM._

~X~

**PART TWO**

~X~

The journey across the sandy plain was harsh—traumatized by the memory of watching Harry killed in cold blood, worried about her father, and panicking about her own wellbeing, Bella's heart raced. Behind her, the blond bandit's smelly mass was pressed uncomfortably close, so Bella held herself as stiff as possible.

It was growing dark before the bandits finally stopped and decided to set up camp for the night. The Mexican seemed nervous.

"No fires. We don't want anyone to see us until we're off Volturi land. You remember what they did to Joham and Nahuel…"

"There's no one in these parts faster than me. I'm scared of no one." The redhead was much more confident. After seeing her shoot earlier, Bella could see why she was so sure of her abilities.

"Relax, Lorenzo. First light we'll be on our way. They're never going to find us in the dark all the way out here." The blond man unrolled a blanket and made himself comfortable. "By midday we'll be off Volt territory and halfway to Repentance. Then, all we need to do is speak to Riley, keep the girl hidden, and wait for payday."

The redhead smiled. "I can't wait. What are you going to spend your money on, James, darling?"

James, the blond bandit, laughed. "Cards, whisky, a fancy new hat...and you, of course, sweetheart."

The female, who it seemed was called Victoria, tossed Bella a piece of stale bread and a strip of meat so tough that it was almost solid."Bon appétit, Princess."

After "supper," the Mexican gave her a couple of blankets and a bundle to rest her head on, much to the amusement of his companions.

"If you think we're giving up one of our blankets for you, Lorenzo, you're greatly mistaken." James exchanged a smirk with Victoria. The Mexican jeered in response, and Bella said "thank you" quietly.

Lying on the hard earth, feeling the cold, and trying to ignore the small stones that she could feel beneath the scratchy blanket, she couldn't sleep, but Bella closed her eyes and did a good impression for the sake of appearances.

~X~

The slightest hint of light blue began to appear around the edges of the purple sky when Bella was shaken awake. She couldn't remember at what point she'd finally drifted off, but she didn't feel much better for it—her dreams had been dark and strange.

Without speaking, Bella rolled up the blankets she'd been given and handed them back, and in return she was given another small hunk of dry bread, which she ate hungrily.

This time, she was hauled up behind the Mexican, who at least seemed to show her some kindness. Bella gripped his waist before the group galloped off towards a rocky outcrop in the distance.

As the sun rose in the sky, Bella was glad when they finally reached the rocks—at least they offered some shade as they picked their way through stony corridors and followed the winding route up and over. They began to descend when a noise which Bella now recognized as a gunshot echoed around her.

"Shit."

"Take cover."

"Where? There is no cover."

Cliffs loomed up on either side, and they found themselves in a rare area with no random boulders, just sloping rock forcing them into a narrow path.

The Mexican spurred his horse and it bolted forward; Bella gripped onto him tighter than ever and squeezed her eyes shut, praying while she listened to the sound of three sets of galloping hooves and sound of bullets hitting stone.

There was a panicked whinny, and Bella opened her eyes, only to find the horse on a stony ledge at the edge of a steep drop. Pulling the horse around just in time, Lorenzo shook the reins and encouraged the beast onto a narrow path that clung to the edge of the rock. Not wanting to see the distance she would have to fall if the horse put a foot wrong, Bella turned her face away.

The stones were loose and the going was slow—too slow considering the shots that still whistled by them. Bella's head whipped around as one seemed to make contact with something other than stone, only to see James' horse lose its footing and disappear over the edge.

Victoria let out a bloodcurdling roar, then turned in her saddle to fire a few shots in the direction of the top of the cliff that overhung them. Bella could have sworn that she saw the shape of a hat before it quickly ducked back down.

They were almost at the bottom, where the path grew wider and fanned out into a bed of loose rubble, when another shot rang out and Lorenzo slumped forward in his saddle. Bella felt something wet and warm on her hands, and pulled them away—to her horror, they were covered in red.

"Fuck!" Her remaining captor swore, and pushed the Mexican from his seat. "If you know what's good for you, you'll ride and keep up with me."

Bella nodded her head and shuffled forward in the saddle, taking the bloody reins and firing the horse into action. Keeping her eyes ahead on the red curls peeping from beneath Victoria's hat, Bella willed the horse to move a little faster over the unsteady ground.

Another shot rang out and Bella's horse buckled. Screaming, Bella felt herself fly through the air, agony shocking her body as she hit ground.

Her eyes barely open, Bella was aware of Victoria's horse turning around and coming back for her. Then, as another shot cracked, Victoria's horse backed away and with a curse, the final surviving bandit left her captive lying in the dust.

Panting as best as she could wearing her corset, Bella tried to sit up, wondering about the extent of her injuries. Other than a general soreness, the only cause for alarm was a throbbing at the back of her head where she had hit ground, luckily hitting sandy dirt rather than a rock.

As she went to touch the area experimentally, she was reminded of the Mexican's vital fluids on her hands, staining them crimson. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she passed out.

~X~

Bella felt a rough hand beneath her head and a bottle was pressed to her lips. Suddenly aware of her thirst, Bella gulped—and then choked as she realized it wasn't water that she was drinking. Her throat burned.

"Easy, Miss."

Bella looked up, and then turned her head away as the light was too bright. Squinting, she saw the silhouette of a man—he was dressed in a rugged manner, with a dirty brown blanket across his shoulders that looked a lot like a cape.

"You don't look like a local girl, that's for sure." His voice sounded young and pleasant.

Swallowing and blinking, Bella croaked, "My name is Miss. Isabella Swan. Those people, they kidnapped me and were holding me for ransom. My father will be looking for me—Sheriff Swan, from New Volterra."

"New Volterra, hmm. That's Volturi territory, and I don't go that way." The stranger got to his feet and Bella scrambled to a sitting position.

"Please, don't leave me here. I—" She looked around at the rocks, dirt, and ragged undergrowth. "You can't just abandon me _here_."

The stranger stood and regarded her. Bella now realized that he was tall and slim, and didn't look like a man that washed often. Though there was something about him that suggested he wasn't a great deal older than Bella herself, though she got the impression the years had weighed much heavier on him as they had on her.

When her eyes found the rifle slung over his shoulder and the gun belt around his waist, she also recognized that he looked just as much an outlaw as the three bandits that had taken her.

"Kidnap, you say? Did they tell you where they were headed?"

"Um...a town called Repentance. They said my father had to ask for a man called Riley Biers. If you won't take me to New Volterra, please will you take me there? I'm begging you."

The stranger chuckled. "Sure, I know Repentance. Such a holy sounding name for an unholy place. I'll take you there. If I'm lucky, maybe I can claim that ransom myself?"

"What?" Bella abruptly got to her feet and looked at him. His mouth lifted at one side and twisted into a half-humored grin.

"Don't go thinking I'm your knight in shining armor, Milady, because I'm far from it. The question you need to ask yourself is what a guy like me was doing out here on his own. The answer would be that my horse got lame, I needed a new one to get where I'm going, and if I hadn't drank so much last night, my aim would have been straighter. Instead of you, I would have me a horse."

Bella took a sharp intake of breath. "You...tried to shoot me."

"That's what I said."

Reeling, Bella took a step backwards and stumbled to the ground. "But...but..."

"It's a cruel, harsh world, Milady." His face grew serious. "Look, seeing as you might be worth something, I'll take you where you need to go. It's your best offer—you either come with me or you stay out here with the buzzards. Your choice."

Warily, Bella got back to her feet. "Okay."

"There's a house about a day's walk north of here. Maybe day and a half in those shoes." His gaze dropped to Bella's feet. "I should be able to get us a horse or two and a bite to eat, stay over for the night, and then Repentance will be another day's ride from there. We'll find this Riley, if your little redheaded friend didn't beat us to it. Deal?"

"Like you said, it's my best offer."

"Sure is." The stranger winked a smiling green eye in her direction, and then dropped to pick up a saddle and a bundle wrapped in worn old fabric from the ground. "I hope you brought yourself a pretty parasol to keep the sun off your head, Milady."

Bella scowled at his back as he began to pick his way down the last of the scree, then followed behind gingerly, wishing that she did have that parasol.

~X~

Struggling to keep putting one foot in the other, Bella tried to keep pace with her new travelling companion.

"How much further?"

He looked over with raised eyebrows. "We keep these hills to our left side until we reach a small creek. We camp overnight, and then follow the creek east to the Denali ranch. Should be there by midday tomorrow."

"How long until we make camp?"

The lopsided grin made another appearance. "Why, those pretty shoes hurting your feet? Do you need a break?"

Red-faced and tired, Bella felt embarrassed that she had to say, "Yes."

As she sat down on the earth, the man handed her a canteen, which Bella declined.

"It's water this time. Drink it—you're going to need plenty of it before we get to the creek."

Bella complied, and then wiped the overrun from her face as tidily as she could. "What's your name?"

"Huh?" the stranger asked and then took a gulp himself.

"You know my name. I want to know yours."

He chuckled. "Why? You want to know what the bounty is on me? Maybe this is all just an elaborate ploy to get me in jail. You did say that you were a sheriff's daughter."

Bella just raised her eyebrows.

"Edward Masen Junior. I'm surprised you haven't seen my poster—it's probably hanging in your dad's office."

Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"You haven't heard of me? Now that's not good for a man's ego. I'm a wanted man."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." He began to advance on Bella, so she got to her feet and backed away. Once he was dangerously close, his hands rose to her bodice. Instead of the fear that Bella knew she should feel, she felt a tingling from the tips of her fingers right down to the painful toes throbbing inside her boots.

"Please don't."

"What?" Edward took a step back. "You think a guy that looks like me has to resort to attacking young women in the wilderness to take care of his manly needs?" He stepped forward and reached for her bodice once more. Bella's breath caught in her throat.

Then he yanked—hard. Something inside snapped and suddenly, Bella's corset was loose.

"You might be able to walk better if you can breathe." He turned away, gathered up his belongings once more and set off walking again.

Bella was still speechless. After a few moments, she was able to move and caught up.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

Edward didn't look in her direction. "Funnily enough, I learned to do _that_ at the Denali ranch—amongst many other things." He then turned his head and winked over his shoulder.

~X~

The Swan house was in chaos. Sue was wailing and Charlie wanted to go to her, but instead, he needed to organize the posse that had congregated outside. It would be dark soon enough, and he wanted to have covered as much ground as possible.

Stepping out onto the porch, he saw a group of horses heading down the track in his direction—more people to help search for his missing daughter.

Jacob came rushing up from behind, turning Charlie's attention away from the new arrivals. "The Mallorys have loaned us some more horses, so at least we have enough to go around now. We're still a few short on guns, but that'll have to do."

Charlie's mouth twitched, but his eyes didn't join in on the smile. "Thanks, Jake. You're doing a good job. You'll make a good deputy someday."

Jacob took a deep breath. "We'll find her, Charlie."

Charlie patted him on the shoulder.

Finally the new additions to the posse grew near, and it didn't take long for Charlie to see from their attire that these weren't just local townspeople. Though they weren't officially an army, Aro Volturi's men always wore the same black suits, almost like a uniform.

Leaving the group and steering his horse in Charlie's direction was Aro Volturi himself.

"Mr. Volturi, I wasn't expecting—"

Aro Volturi held up his hand. "You're a good sheriff, Charles. When I heard about the trouble I wanted to help as much as I could. You already have the money for the ransom that I sent earlier?"

Charlie nodded and stumbled over expressing his gratitude, which Aro accepted with his usual nonchalance.

"My men and I are at your disposal. Now where are we headed?"

Charlie ran his fingers across his moustache. "Repentance. They have a good head start on us, but we're going to separate into smaller groups and see if we can head them off before they get off Volturi lands."

"Excellent plan. Do you know who is behind the kidnapping?"

"By the descriptions I've been given it sounds like a gang from Repentance that Sheriff Whitlock told me about the last time I saw him. Three people in total. One of them, Vicky the Vixen, apparently she's a mean shot."

"I hear you. I'll take my men south and then back up towards Repentance. If we find them first, we'll leave word there." Aro turned his horse around and dug in his heels. "Yah."

As soon as Aro Volturi made a move to go, the rest of his men followed.

Charlie Swan watched them go, feeling that things were much more under control now. "Come on, Jacob. Let's go saddle up."

Mounting his horse, Charlie Swan patted the bag that contained the ransom his daughter's kidnappers had demanded, grateful for his employer's unquestioning generosity. Charlie had no idea how he was going to repay Mr. Volturi this time.

~X~

As soon as they reached the creek, Bella found the energy to sprint to the edge, removed her shoes and lifted her skirts, and then stepped into the water.

"Oh, that's heaven."

"It would do you more good if you drank it rather than stand in it."

Bella gave Edward a disgusted look. "It would do _you_ more good if you bathed in it once in a while."

"Touché, Milady. We can't all afford to soak ourselves in milk and honey."

Edward turned away and began unpacking. As Bella soothed her feet, she watched him setting up camp, amazed at how he managed to set up a basic looking tent, and lay out the components of a meal , and build a camp fire from such a small bundle.

Once he was done, he got to his feet and dusted off his hands. "Well, seeing as you're the woman, I'm going to take that bath and_ you_ can do the cooking."

"Wait, I've never cooked before."

"Well, Milady, it seems to me like it's a good time to learn. Consider this your first lesson in surviving in the wild." Edward was already pulling off his poncho and hat as he walked away along the pebbled shore of the creek.

Bella paused and looked around at the various utensils on the ground, unsure of where to start, but determined to give it a try. It seemed that she was a natural culinary talent, and a while later, Bella had managed to rustle together a pan of beans and some scrambled eggs. She had no idea where Edward had found the latter, but their size and unusual color said that they hadn't come from a chicken.

Keen to show off her handiwork, Bella went to find her first willing volunteer to try out her cooking.

"Mr. Masen?" she yelled.

"Yeah?" There was a sound of splashing only a few yards from where she stood.

Bella pushed through the undergrowth as it snagged on her dress. "Mr. Masen, your dinner is…served."

Bella's eyes grew wide. Edward Masen Junior was naked and thigh deep in the creek.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She quickly turned away.

"Didn't they teach you not to walk in on bathing men in finishing school?"

Her response was a string of stammered nonsense. There was a splashing behind her, and a curse as Edward scraped his toe on a sharp rock. He grabbed his pants and quickly pulled them on over his still wet thighs.

"Show's over—I'm decent."

Miss Swan turned to look at him, and it didn't escape him that her eyes briefly dropped beneath waist level.

"Your dinner will be getting cold. Hurry up." With that she strutted away with the slightest toss of her head, but despite her prickliness, her red face betrayed her embarrassment.

Edward chuckled to himself, and then ran his fingers through the hair that still stuck to his forehead. It was a good thing she hadn't arrived a few minutes earlier, or she would have seen a lot more.

From the moment he'd gotten close, he could tell Miss Swan wasn't the typical kind of woman you found riding with a bunch of outlaws in the wild. After looting the two male corpses first, he'd discovered that she was still breathing and surprisingly uninjured.

Forgetting about the horse that he'd inadvertently killed, he'd pulled Bella over into the shade.

Her clothes were expensive—not the type that a whore who earned her money well might choose to wear. She looked prim and proper, and her face was a work of art, framed by deep brown curls, and her perfume filled his nostrils—she didn't just dress expensive, she smelled it, too.

No, she definitely wasn't local. She almost looked like a porcelain doll with her pretty hair, clear pale skin, and fancy outfit. Or a lady…waiting to be rescued by her knight in shining armor—like the ones in stories that his mother used to read to him all those years ago.

For a while, he'd sat and just looked. The girl was lucky that he wasn't the type of man that would climb on top of an unconscious woman in the middle of nowhere, but he'd have been lying if he said that some tiny part of his brain hadn't suggested the idea.

Then he'd remembered that he wasn't the dashing rescuer this lady was hoping for, but the bad guy that had shot the horse from under her. Edward reminded himself that he'd grown out of fairytales a long time ago, and gave her a sip of whisky to try and revive her.

Once she woke up, she turned out to be a royal pain in the ass. Still, at least the detour might turn out to be profitable, and he had something pretty to look at along the way.

Liberating her from her corset affected him more than he cared to admit, and after watching her holding up her skirts soaking her feet, Edward had needed to take himself away for a little alone time. Her ankles on show, the flush in her cheeks from the walk in the burning Arizona sun, and the way her eyes watched what he was doing with interest had spawned all kinds of bad thoughts that needed addressing.

Now, after she'd burst through the bushes and caught him with all he had on show, he might as well not had bothered with the self relief. He was as wound up now as he was beforehand.

Miss. Isabella Swan wasn't the type of lady who got with outlaws—she was the type of woman who got men like him killed. Heck, he'd played his part in killing two of her previous kidnappers himself.

Edward pulled on his shirt and counted how many hours it would be until they got to the ranch. At least there he could do something about his predicament; Tanya had stopped charging him years ago in the hope he'd stop his wandering and settle down with her.

Tanya was hoping in vain. Edward just wasn't the settling type.


	3. Chapter 3

**Halfway to Repentance**

_Yep, still all Stephenie's, no matter how much I warp the characters she created._

~X~

PART THREE

~X~

"Two dead horses and two dead kidnappers." Charlie Swan looked at the distance between the Mexican's corpse and the second horse. The first horse and rider had obviously been shot and fell off the cliff, but something had happened between the second man being killed and the death of his mount.

Maybe it had bolted or was lame? There had to be a reason to shoot a running horse? A dead horse was no good to anyone.

Sheriff Swan decided that there had been a second rider…Bella?

Billy looked at the tracks left in the dirt. "The rider fell off when the horse was shot. The third horse stopped and came back…but then took off again to the east."

"Uh-huh—any sign of Bella?"

Billy held up a few dark round beads. "Bella was the one that fell."

"Damn." Charlie looked around at the bloodstains about the horse, hoping that it was only animal blood. Billy gave him hope.

"More footprints headed this way—a tall man."

"You can tell that from a footprint?" Charlie asked, interested but still anxious.

"Big feet." Billy found another print to follow. "He lifted Bella up and walked over here. Then he and Bella walked north."

Jacob watched from his horse. "Then north we go."

Bob Newton leaned on his saddle and looked down at Charlie. "Whoever this person is on foot and whether Bella's with him or not, we shouldn't let the other bandit get away. I think we should split up and follow the two trails."

"Good idea. I'll go to the North. Take a few men, Bob. We'll meet up in Repentance."

Charlie climbed up onto his horse and Billy did likewise. The two halves of the posse went their separate ways.

Jacob rode next to his father. "Are you sure Bella came this way?"

Billy nodded his head. "Definitely. The thing that worries me is that the person she's travelling with is the same man who shot the others and looted their bodies. I have no idea why he would do that, but if he could shoot Bella's horse from under her, I doubt he's the type of person we would want to trust her safe passage to."

Jacob narrowed his eyes and looked ahead.

~X~

After dinner, and once the sun dropped below the horizon, Edward pulled out his harmonica and began playing.

"After dinner music? Why, I practically feel like I'm travelling first class."

Edward didn't stop his tune to comment. Bella sat and watched him silently, looking at him more closely as he was one of the few things of interest lit up by the fire. It was the best excuse she'd had so far to study him in detail. Since the unfortunate bathing accident, Bella had barely looked at him at all.

Now she knew how lean and muscular he really was under that blanket, the dirty old shirt, and the battered tan waistcoat, she was beginning to find it difficult to think of anything else. When she remembered anything below his waistline—his long thighs, the curve of his bottom, and other things…she began to feel a hot flush rising up her neck, so she avoided that train of thought as much as possible.

Well, she'd certainly learned something from the whole experience—male anatomy for a start.

Mr. Masen's face was much more handsome now it wasn't dirty, though he was still very much in need of a shave. His green eyes lifted slightly at the edges and hid under strong eyebrows. Most of the time they smiled, but Bella didn't doubt that they could change quickly in certain circumstances. His nose was crooked, probably due to a fist fight, but his lips pouted in a very attractive manner unless they were twisted into that smirk of his.

Bella decided that he would probably scrub up quite nicely, but then men like Edward Masen didn't often do that. No doubt part of his appeal was his rough and readiness—he was very different to any other man she'd ever met. Right now, she couldn't quite tell whether she trusted him or not.

For a start, where was he planning on sleeping? There was only one small tent and one set of blankets.

"I'm tired…where's my bed?"

The harmonica stopped abruptly. "You're in the tent." Before he could press the instrument back to his lips, Bella spoke again.

"Where are you sleeping?"

Edward choked a little. "Well, ignoring the insinuated invitation in that question, I have to say that I intend on sleeping right here." He patted the ground next to where he sat.

"Oh. Don't you need a blanket? They all seem to be in the tent."

"I have this. I'll be fine." Edward pulled at his poncho.

Bella felt a little guilty, but not wanting to embarrass herself any more she climbed inside her outdoor bedchamber. It wasn't much more comfortable than the previous night's, but this time, it was easier for her to fall asleep. Maybe it was the mournful lullaby that Edward serenaded her with, but her eyes closed and she knew nothing more until daybreak.

Edward watched the sleeping woman out of the corner of his eye, playing whatever note came into his head. The music just seemed to come together and he knew that, from this day, whenever he played it he would always remember it as Miss. Swan's lullaby.

Why was he torturing himself like this? In two days time, he doubted that he'd ever see Miss. Swan again. She was a sheriff's daughter from a part of the country where Edward could never step foot, and Edward lived on the opposite side of the law.

For the first time ever, Edward imagined himself as a fine upstanding member of the community—maybe a respectable rancher like his father had been before him—with a wife and a son or two. The wife looked suspiciously like Bella, but a little more simply dressed.

Those thoughts inevitably led him back to his final memories of his mother and his father, yelling at him to run as a couple of Volturi thugs burned up the barn.

The last time twelve-year-old Edward Masen Junior had seen his father, he was walking in the hoodlums' direction, rifle in hand. When Edward returned from his rocky hiding place the next day, he'd found nothing but ashes where his home used to be.

A few months later, there was a new set of buildings—built for Aro Volturi's sister and her new husband.

Edward had bided his time, but a few years later—once he'd learned how to handle a gun and survive in the wild on his own—he'd returned to avenge his dead parents.

_An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth._

He had left a note and signed it Edward Masen Junior. He didn't know whether Aro Volturi knew that the ranchers he had exterminated to make way for his own kin had a son, but he was certain that he knew it now.

No—there was no way Edward Masen could afford to dream about the daughter of one of Aro Volturi's puppet sheriffs. He stopped playing and packed his harmonica away, forcing himself to stop obsessing over the way Miss. Swan breathed while sleeping.

He was about to fall asleep himself when she whispered a single word in her slumber.

"Edward…"

Edward cursed in response.

~X~

"Edward!" Carmen had been sitting on the porch watching the two figures make their way over the scrub and sand towards the house. Visitors were always welcome at the Denali ranch, and Edward was a regular. As the resident housekeeper and mother-figure, Carmen had seen him come and go many times.

The first time he'd visited, he'd been just a child, wanting nothing more than a roof over his head and food in his belly, rather than the other services the house offered.

"_Hola_, Carmen," Edward yelled back and lifted his hand in greeting. "_Come estas_?"

"_Muy bien, muy bien_. Back so soon?" Carmen looked at his companion. "And who is your young lady friend?"

"It might be better all round if you don't know her full name, if you get me." Edward replied with a wink. Carmen rolled her eyes in his direction, wondering what trouble her favorite visitor had gotten himself into.

His young lady friend was far less amused. "Bella. My name is Bella." She looked up at the outlaw beside her. Did he still view her as a means to an end? Nothing more than a nameless commodity to be exchanged for cold hard cash?

Part of her wished she'd done something very unladylike and spat on his eggs the previous night.

Bella's train of thought was interrupted when the door burst open and a blonde leaped into Edward's arms, planting a large kiss on his cheek.

"Edward, you're back!"

"Tanya. I guess you're pleased to see me."

"I'm always pleased to see you, Edward, darling." She froze. "Who is this?"

"Bella Sw—" Bella bit her bottom lip. "Just Bella—my name is Bella."

"I'm escorting Bella to Repentance to meet up with her family."

"Uh-huh. Is that so?" Another tall blonde came up behind her sister. "I'm Irina, this is Tanya, and our other sister, Kate, is inside...entertaining."

Bella wasn't quite sure what to make of that information, but she said, "How do you do?" and allowed herself to be escorted inside.

"Where's Eleazar?" Edward asked.

"My husband is washing up for dinner. So should you if you're expecting to be fed." Carmen paused and looked between Bella and Edward. "How many extra beds am I making up for the night?"

"Just the one." Tanya's head snapped in Edward's direction, and he smirked without looking at her. "I get the feeling I'm staying in my usual accommodation tonight." Tanya's frown melted into a smile.

Twenty minutes later, they were all sat around the dinner table with the exception of Kate, who sounded like she was still otherwise engaged upstairs—and thoroughly enjoying it. Despite Bella's embarrassment at the noises she was hearing, the general mood was affable, and Bella eagerly ate the strangely spicy food that Carmen had served—it was unlike anything she'd ever eaten before and she liked it.

"So, Edward...I know you're headed to Repentance, but we're a little off route and I notice that you're minus a horse from when you last visited. Do you want to tell us why you're really here and what trouble you're in?" Eleazar asked.

"Can't a man come and visit his friends now and again? Hell knows I don't have many."

"As much as my sister would like to believe that this is a social visit, I doubt that's why you came. What do you want, Edward?" Irina viewed Edward suspiciously.

"Irina!" Tanya wasn't happy at her sister's outburst.

Edward put down his fork and leaned back in his chair. "Other than a place to stay for the night and some food, I'm going to need a horse—two if you can spare another. That's all I'm asking."

"I know you've gotten used to staying and playing here rent free, Edward. But what about your friend here? Are we going to take her in like another adopted waif and stray, hmmm?" Bella noticed that Irina was gripping her cutlery so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.

"I can pay for my keep...once I meet up with my family," Bella quickly offered, wanting to diffuse the situation. Irina seemed much less keen to avoid conflict.

"Yes, and when I find myself a sugar daddy, I'll buy myself a wardrobe of pretty clothes, hats, and shoes, but I'm afraid the shops in Repentance don't take I.O.U.s. We don't trade on pay you laters here."

"Irina, look at her clothes. She's good for it—I can tell." Tanya chastised her sister again.

"Yes, look at your dress." Irina gave Bella a glance up and down. "It's nice. Is it taffeta? I think that would suffice as payment due."

"It'll never fit you, Irina. Bella, ignore her—she's not had any customers for a while." Tanya looked at Bella sympathetically.

"No, I'm serious. Give us the dress and we'll consider your bill settled."

An argument broke out around the table, and for a while, Bella's voice was drowned out.

"It's fine. You can have the dress." Finally, she was heard. "Just...I'm going to need something else to wear instead."

Tanya smiled at Bella. "Don't worry. Kate is about your size. If Edward is trying to smuggle you into Repentance, then it might help if you look a little less conspicuous."

Irina said nothing else for the rest of the meal.

~X~

Later that night, Tanya rolled off Edward and lay next to him, naked on the bed.

"So..." she began breathlessly. "Are you going to tell me the story behind Bella or are you going to be your usual tortured and mysterious self?"

Edward smiled in the dark. "Can I trust you not to say anything, even to your sisters?"

"Of course. I've never told them about your parents or anything else I've sworn not to."

Edward propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at his prostitute confidante.

"She's the daughter of a sheriff over in New Volterra—"

"New Volterra, but that's—" Edward put his finger over Tanya's mouth.

"I know. My horse got lame and I was waiting for someone to come through Forks pass so I could get me a new one. I surprised a bunch of bandits. They'd kidnapped her and were holding her to ransom. I killed two of them—unfortunately, their horses, too—and one of them got away. Bella was left behind, and she was alone..."

"And you being the type of man you are brought her with you." Tanya finished his sentence for him. "That makes sense and makes me feel a lot better. For a while, I thought you'd found yourself a fancy girlfriend."

"Don't make me out to be something I'm not, Tanya. I'm not a good man—I'm as bad as they come. I killed two men for their horses, and I would have killed Bella, too. I fully intend on claiming the ransom myself once I get to Repentance."

"Now you know I don't believe that for a second. I know exactly what type of man you are, Edward. We get all types of low lives through these doors and I've never counted you as one of them. You became an outlaw through necessity—if people knew what I knew..."

"But they don't and they won't, Tanya." Edward gave her a meaningful look. "Once I collect that ransom, I'm going into hiding for a while. She's too connected with the Volturis. You might not see me for quite some time once I leave tomorrow."

Tanya ran her finger along his hairy jaw. "We'll see, Edward. We'll see."

Meanwhile, Bella was lying in her bed in the next room, thankful that she could no longer hear the squeaking of the bed and gasps through the wall.

Edward must really like Tanya—maybe they were engaged to one another? She'd not seen any rings, but what she'd just overhead had to mean that. Edward certainly didn't seem to be a paying customer.

She could barely make out Edward and Tanya's murmurs as they spoke. Sweet nothings, probably, Bella told herself. Not the kind of thing a stranger should be listening in to.

Still, as much as it hurt, she couldn't help but try. Edward Masen had somehow caught her attention, like Jacob; though she knew nothing could ever happen between them, a little something was building inside—a need that she couldn't quite put a name to. Bella didn't know what kind of a man Edward Masen Junior really was. She couldn't even decide whether he was her rescuer or kidnapper.

Through the wooden wall, Edward's voice grew louder. "I'm as bad as they come. I killed two men for their horses, and I would have killed Bella, too. I fully intend on claiming the ransom myself once I get to Repentance."

The words felt like a blow to Bella's chest.

_Well, at least _now_ I know what I mean to him_, she thought, and then turned over to cry herself to sleep.

~X~

Looking at herself in the tarnished mirror, Bella felt very underdressed. The top and shawl felt more like underwear than something one would wear to go travelling in, but at least she could move in it. Bella definitely didn't miss her corset. Her new skirt was straight and beige, and the type of thing she'd seen the women in New Volterra wearing.

Though her eyes looked a little puffy, the redness was hidden a little by the effects of being exposed to the sun so much over the last two days. Bella's once pale skin was starting to get the sheen of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors—something that her mother would have been horrified to see.

Bella decided that she didn't care about that as much as she cared about the ache in her hips from so much walking and riding.

Adjusting her shawl to cover more of her chest and shoulders, she left her room and headed downstairs, leaving yesterday's clothes on the bed for their new owner. It was only a dress—more valuable to the Denali girls than Bella who had a wardrobe full of them.

Carmen, Eleazar, Tanya, and Kate stood on the porch to wave them off, and Bella and Edward turned their horses east, continuing on their journey. Though Bella expected Edward to set a quick pace, their horses ambled leisurely.

"That's a good look for you, Miss. Swan," he said after quite some time.

"This? I look like a..." She trailed off and looked away.

"A whore? Not at all—some of my best friends are whores, and I can assure you that you look nothing like one."

"Tanya...is she your best friend?" Bella tried unsuccessfully to hide her scowl as she spoke.

Edward's mouth twitched. "You could say that. Best friends with benefits."

"So she isn't your fiancée?"

"My fiancée? Hell no." He shook his head. "No, Tanya and I are definitely friends. I have no intention of ever getting married."

"Oh." Bella frowned a little more as she contemplated what had gone on the previous evening if Edward didn't have honorable intentions towards Tanya.

"What about you, Miss. Swan? Is there a fiancé at home waiting for you to be rescued?"

"No, I'm not engaged."

"Suitors?"

Bella turned and stared at Edward, who looked back with genuine interest. "Not really. I've only just moved here, and for most of the time I was sick, so I've barely met anyone."

Edward began to unfasten the canteen that Bella knew held alcohol rather than water. "So there's no one out there that's even caught your eye?"

"Well, there is this one boy, but I...he's not the type of man I could marry."

"Not suitable for you, huh? Not rich or respectable enough? Well, hell. I feel sorry for him already." Edward's voice was full of reproach, and Bella tried to swallow back her indignation that he could speak to her in that way after what she'd overheard.

"No. No, it's not like that at all. It's just...he's a native."

"Really? Well, I can see why falling for him would be a problem for a lady like yourself. I guess your father doesn't approve." Edward took a long swig of whisky.

"No, I'm sure my father would be fine about it. It's just...none of your business. I don't even know why I'm debating this with you."

Edward held out the whisky to Bella, who looked at it in disdain.

"Oh, don't worry. I know how it is." He said as he put the canteen away. "No matter how much you like him, he's the wrong type and nothing will change that. You'd rather marry some stuffed suit with coin in his pocket for the sake of appearances. That's just how the world works."

Bella was furious. "Mr. Masen, you know absolutely nothing about me or who I am, and I would prefer it if you didn't say another word to me until we reach Repentance." With her heels, she encouraged her mount into a gentle canter, leaving a very pained Edward in her dust.

For some reason, hearing that some native boy had caught Miss. Swan's eye, and her subsequent dismissal of him, hurt really bad.

~X~

"Hello and welcome. How can we help you fine gentleman today?" Tanya stepped off the porch toward the three men on horseback. They looked weary, as if they'd been travelling hard for quite some time.

Her eyes soon found the star on the white man's jacket.

"We're looking for two people—a man and a girl. Girl is about so high, quite slight. Brown eyes, brown hair, dressed smart—named Isabella Swan. Have you seen her?"

"No, I've not seen anyone like that. There hasn't been a woman stopping by these parts for quite some time, Sheriff." Tanya smirked. "We're quite a way from the nearest town."

Kate joined her on the porch. "Hello, gentlemen." Her eyes focused on the young native boy—he was cute. "What's your pleasure?"

Jacob lowered his gaze and blushed. "We're looking for a man and a woman—their tracks led this way. Have you seen them?"

Kate shook her head. "No, they must have passed by during the night. Only one man came through here yesterday, and he definitely didn't have a girl with him." She chuckled.

"Is this her hat?" Irina stepped through the door purposefully, making her way to the horsemen. "Make it worth my while and I'll show you which way they went."

"Irina, no!"

"Tanya, open your eyes. He doesn't care about any of us or he wouldn't be bringing the law to our front door. He said himself that he intends to claim the ransom. I think it's about time we stopped protecting Edward Masen and let him get what's coming to him."

The Sheriff helped Irina get up on the horse behind him.

"Irina, if you leave, don't ever expect to be welcome back here again." Tanya's eyes narrowed.

"I never wanted this life in the first place, Tanya. This is a fresh start for me. Goodbye, and I hope you find something better for you than that lowlife."

Charlie Swan spurred his horse and set off, his hope of finding his daughter renewed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Halfway to Repentance**

_Nada, nil, zip, zero—that's how much I own. Enjoy…_

~X~

PART FOUR

~X~

After night fall, Edward and Bella sat in silence while Bella cooked. She put some sausages onto a plate for her companion, and then thrust it into his lap.

They'd ridden in silence for the rest of the day, only speaking when it was time to set up camp. On one hand, Edward was pleased; hearing about the native boy had caused a twisting in his guts that could only be calmed with whisky. On the other hand, the silence had given him too much time to think, and his increasing drunkenness hadn't helped matters.

"So we're still not speaking then, hmm? Well, as long as you're still cooking for me, I can live with that." He used his fingers to feed himself. "You know, you're living proof that the clothes do not make the man...or woman for that matter."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I thought you behaved all holier than thou because of your fancy silk dress, but it seems that even dressed like people who exist in the real world, you're still a pain in the ass."

Internally, Edward cringed at the harshness of his own words—he hadn't intended to insult her, but feeling defensive he'd lashed out verbally.

Bella gave a squeak of indignation. "I can't believe that you are sitting there lecturing me on my actions when _you're_ holding _me_ to ransom!"

"If I remember correctly, you begged me to take you Repentance."

"And if I heard correctly, you still intend on claiming the ransom money." Bella's tone was accusing, and left Edward in no doubt as to exactly when she'd heard those words.

He looked down at the floor. "You heard that?"

Even in the dark, Edward could see her blush.

Well, that was settled then. The occasional daydream he'd had earlier, when he was picturing himself stood next to Bella, with a young boy with green eyes running around her legs and a baby on her hip, disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Bella Swan was never going to think twice about a guy like him—they were opposites in every way. Outlaw and sheriff's daughter, moral upstanding woman versus thief and murderer, virgin and womanizer, vagabond and rich girl…the list went on.

Edward had spent a lot of time thinking about how much Sheriff Swan would have had to turn a blind eye to in return for the money to afford to raise Bella in the way he had. Aro Volturi had also featured in his thoughts a lot today—laughing in his face at how he'd put the one girl on the planet Edward couldn't have in his path, and how he was falling for the trap by becoming infatuated with her.

But Edward knew that was a fabrication of his own alcohol addled mind. Bella wouldn't participate in anything like that—she was too _good_. He didn't doubt that Bella went to church every Sunday, and he already knew that she said grace before every meal. Things Edward never bothered with—God had washed his hands of him a long time ago.

Considering saying his prayers for the first time in years, Edward wondered what it was exactly that he would ask the divine being for.

An awkward silence fell. Bella finished her meal and wiped off her plate as best as she could. Then she leaned over to take Edward's, only for him to catch her wrist and send his plate clattering to the ground.

"I didn't mean what you overheard. If it helps, I'm having second thoughts about doing anything more than handing you in at the Sheriff's office."

Bella froze and stared back, wide-eyed. It took a few moments before she could speak. "I don't believe you. You said yourself that you're a bad person."

Edward visibly deflated. "I am, and I've done a lot of bad things in my time, but that doesn't mean that I'd sell out a friend. Are we friends, Bella?"

"You said I was a pain in the ass—" Bella tried to yank her hand away but Edward held it steady. The rough feel of his skin against hers was sending sparks up her arm, and then spreading throughout her body, fanned by the anger she was feeling.

"Yes, I said that, but that's not what I meant at all. I—" Edward shuffled closer. "You do something to me, Bella, and it confuses me and makes me crazy, but damn it—"

Green eyes bored into her brown ones, and Edward felt as lost as usual as he looked down into her face. His grip on her wrist loosened. Right then, he would have given anything to not be what he was—to turn over a leaf and be a respectable man. The kind of man that Bella wouldn't dismiss as unsuitable.

"In another life, if I was a good man and things were less complicated, I'd court you. I'd take chaperoned strolls with you and drink lemonade on your porch. I might steal a kiss or two, but after asking your father's permission, I'd get down on one knee and make an honest woman of you. If I was the settling down type, then I'd choose someone exactly like you."

Looking at the harrowed look in her travelling companion's eyes, Bella couldn't breathe—her ribcage felt bound even tighter now than by the most punishing corset she'd ever worn. "How much whisky have you had?"

Then Edward's mouth crushed against hers, the hair on his jaw bristling against her smooth skin. He tasted of hard liquor and sausage meat—and it was exquisite. Her first kiss was the most perfect moment of her life so far.

Memories of Edward standing in the water, fully exposed in all his glory, raced through Bella's mind. Not knowing what she was doing, she responded as enthusiastically as she could, causing Edward to moan into her mouth.

His hands cupped her face, and then gently made a trail down her neck, across her collarbone, and pulled at her shoulders so more of her body pressed against him. Somehow, Bella found her hands under his poncho and scrambling inside of his waistcoat, feeling the warm of his skin through the shirt he wore—the only barrier between her hands and the nakedness she'd seen previously.

Edward pushed Bella to the ground and his hands grew even bolder as they ran over the swell of her chest, down to her waist, and then started tugging at her skirt, bringing the hem higher and higher. Once he'd exposed her milky white leg, he hooked his hand behind her knee. As he hitched her leg up to his waist, he pulled his mouth away from hers and looked down.

Bella's doe-like brown eyes met his, only now they seemed entirely feral. Her lips were parted and she wore an expression of unadulterated need—this brought Edward back to his senses.

_Look. Look what you've done,_ he thought to himself. _You can't touch anything without corrupting it. Are you really going to let Isabella Swan do this? Send her back to her father after stealing her virginity, hoping that you hadn't left a little surprise in the oven for her later?_

Letting Bella's leg fall back to earth, Edward climbed off her and sat on the ground with his head in his hands.

Bella, shocked out of her lust haze, sat up and adjusted her clothing. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No. You didn't do anything wrong, Bella." Edward's eyes focused on the ground, shame weighing heavy and dragging him down to the dirt where he felt he belonged.

"Is it because of Tanya?"

"No, nothing at all to do with Tanya."

"Then—"

Edward blasphemed and got to his feet. "Bella, girls like you don't rut in the dirt with men like me."

"Is it because I'm a virgin, because I'm ready—"

Staring, open-mouthed, Edward seemed conflicted, but then he shook his head.

"Bella, listen. For once in my life, I'm going to do the right thing. This is not how it should be for someone like you. Wait—get married and do it the way the Good Lord intended." Edward ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not the right man for you, and this isn't the right time."

With that, he turned and walked into the darkness outside the circle of the campfire, leaving Bella calling his name. Once she was sure that he wasn't coming back any time soon, she got to her feet and climbed into her lonely bed under the simple tent.

What must he think of the way she'd behaved? He was the kind of man who lay with whores, but he had said "Bella, girls like you don't rut in the dirt with men like me." Edward was wrong—maybe the clothes did make the girl?

A wash of shame flowed over her, and sleep was a long time coming. When it did, it was full of dreams about how a woman like her could be with a man like Edward.

She knew that she shouldn't be thinking this way, but how was she ever going to fit back into her old life after all that had happened? Now, her previous existence seemed so shallow and staid. Not like the last few days with Edward—he was dangerous, exciting, and just the right mix of outlaw and tortured soul.

Bella's eyes closed as she touched her still tender lips, thinking about how she'd never be able to adjust to a normal life after being kissed like _that_.

~X~

In the morning, they didn't wait for breakfast; instead Edward tossed Bella an apple as they packed their things away.

"Bella, I—"

"It's fine. I'm fine."

"No, Bella—I have to say that—"

"Edward—don't apologize, please."

After staring each other in the eye for a moment, they both decided that there was nothing more to say on the matter, berating themselves for their behavior the previous evening. Both regretting it, while at the same time wanting more.

Once they were ready to go, Bella climbed onto her horse and did her best not to look in Edward's direction. They set off on the final part of the journey that would bring them to Repentance and back to her father.

As she finished her apple, Bella's mind started churning over the various things that Edward had said and done. He was a living, breathing contradiction. Who was the real Edward, and why did he behave this way?

"So, have you decided whether you're claiming the ransom or not?"

Edward kept his eyes on the horizon. "No, I'm not claiming the ransom. I'm taking you as far as the sheriff's office and making sure you get there safely before I head for the hills."

Bella rode and thought a little more.

"Maybe you could claim the ransom, and we could split it…fifty-fifty?"

"What?" Now she had Edward's full attention.

"I don't want to be the spoiled little rich girl you seem to think I am, Edward. This little adventure has taught me that there's a whole world out there beyond the perfect bubble I used to live in. That's not who I am. I want more from life."

Edward's face broke into a frown.

"So, you're going to claim half of your own ransom, and then what? You're going to wander alone until you get raped or killed?"

Bella's face softened. "No, I don't want to wander alone. I want to wander with you." Then she chewed her lip as she realized how that sounded.

"Bella, I—"

Bella raised her voice. "I'm not asking you to get married or make any kind of commitment to me. Just show me the world and how to survive, and then I'll decide where to take it from there."

Edward didn't say anything, but when Bella turned to see his response, he was staring back at her as if he was in a trance.

"You're serious?"

"I've never been more serious, Edward. This is what I want."

Edward shook his head. "No. You've been out in the sun a little too long and it's gone to your head. This is impossible."

"I'm doing this, Edward." Bella gave him a determined stare. "If you won't, then I'll find someone else to play kidnapper and split the money with them."

"With most of the people I know in Repentance, that's suicide. There are some bad people out there."

"That's why I'd prefer to do it with you."

"Bella, _I'm_ a bad person." Edward tried to will Bella into understanding what he was trying to stay. Isabella Swan was a stubborn woman.

"Are you? What have you done that's really so bad?" Her eyebrows rose, challenging him.

"You saw me shoot and kill two men."

"They were bandits—"

"Yes, but how would I have known that? I tried to shoot you, too, but I missed." Edward winced at the thought that he'd almost killed this woman.

"Divine intervention." Bella winked.

She really wasn't getting what he was trying to tell her, so Edward decided to try to shock her instead. "I first killed someone when I was only fourteen."

"And the reason?"

"They were trying to kill me." Edward's brow wrinkled. Okay, so she had him on that one.

"Self-defense. Anything else?"

"I committed my first cold-blooded murder at fifteen."

"Why?"

"The Volturis killed my parents. I wanted revenge."

"Aro Volturi? Who employs my father?"

Finally, the type of horrified reaction that she should have when talking about murder, Edward thought. "The one and same. He sent his men to my parent's ranch. I killed his sister and brother-in-law in retaliation after they burned it to the ground."

Bella stared in shock. It suddenly all made sense. This was the real Edward—if you looked beyond the outlaw you found the little boy who lost his parents, angry at the world, and just trying to survive.

Edward misinterpreted Bella's silence. "I guess that means the deal's off."

"No, Edward. Not at all."

In fact, Bella was more determined than ever that this was the right thing to do. Maybe, she thought, Edward Masen Junior needed rescuing just as much as she had?

~X~

"What do we do when they come asking for me, Victoria? They have my name, and Aro Volturi is involved."

"You stall them. I know she's alive—I just need to find her." Victoria thought back to those dim-witted fools that had tried to catch up with her out on the plains. She'd left one of them alive long enough to give her the information she needed.

"But how? She could be anywhere." Riley paced the floor while Victoria lay on the bed, tangled in the sheets.

"True—she could be anywhere, but I know where she's headed. Isabella Swan is coming here to Repentance. Whoever it was that killed James, I doubt that he'll think twice about claiming the ransom. We just need to make sure we find her before anyone else does."

"But is it really worth it? They say that Aro Volturi once fed a couple of outlaws to his pigs for a lot less. We could just forget about it and run. _They have my name_, Victoria."

"I know, darling." Victoria stepped off the bed and walked across the room to where the young Riley stood. "This is not just about the money. I want revenge for what this asshole did to James...and Lorenzo. Then I can move on and we can be together. You want that, right? A fresh start...just you and me."

Riley looked down into Victoria's eyes—they were softer than usual, and damn, how could you say no to a girl who looked that good naked. "Of course, I want that. I love you."

Victoria wrapped her arms around Riley's waist and buried her face in the curve of his neck. "I love you, too." As she looked at the wall opposite, Victoria smirked.

~X~

Jacob climbed down from his horse and looked at the sooty remains of a fire.

"It's fresh."

There were two sets of footprints, male and female, and he spotted a couple of long mahogany strands on the ground. The exact shade of Bella's hair—he'd know it anywhere.

Jacob tried to resist the urge to cradle the hair to his chest. It wasn't until she'd been snatched away from him that he'd realized exactly how much he felt for Sheriff Swan's daughter. He loved her with every inch of his being. There would be no rest until she was safe and sound, and if anyone had harmed her in any way...

"We're close to Repentance," his father said confidently. "We're not going to catch them before they get there."

"Then let's go meet the others, and see what this Riley Biers has to say." Charlie Swan was impatient to find Bella as soon as possible, and feeling uncomfortable with his female passenger holding on so tight. "We'll make sure that Sheriff Whitlock knows that Edward Masen is in town, too. He's a wanted man."

Charlie didn't know what it was that Edward Masen Junior had done to Mr. Volturi, but he was under strict instructions to bring him to him alive if he was ever found. All he knew was that Mr. Volturi's eyes seemed to mist over with pure hate whenever he came into his office and saw the poster still on the wall after all this time.

And this was who had Bella. Charlie had a feeling that things were going to get a lot worse before he was reunited with his daughter.

~X~

Bella and Edward nervously walked up the main street toward the saloon, trying to keep their faces hidden without looking suspicious. From what Bella saw, they weren't the only ones trying to keep a low profile.

"This is as close as you're getting, Bella." Edward commanded. "I will go in there, speak to this Riley to find out whether I can get him to act as the middle man for us, and I'll come back as soon as possible, yes?"

"That's the plan." Bella ducked behind a number of barrels to the side of the wooden building. "Be safe."

As Edward looked down at his new partner in crime, he felt a twinge in his chest. She seemed so small—so vulnerable. What was he getting her into? Why was he allowing herself to do something so dishonest?

Because the closer she gets to being like you, the less out of reach she is, a tiny voice whispered inside his own mind.

She was too good for him, he already knew this—hell, the whole world knew it—but today he'd been allowed to hope.

Now, his head spun, and the only thing that seemed solid in front of him was her. Isabella Swan. She was the wife he'd invented for himself in that little patch of heaven that only existed in the corner of his mind, just out of reach. Or was it?

"If something happens, go back to the Denalis. Take their horses back to them, and I'm sure Tanya will help. Just...don't go into business with them, okay?"

"Edward..."

"I'm going. Just stay out of sight."

Bella looked exasperated, so Edward finally turned and made his way across the well trodden dirt to the saloon. As he pushed his way through the double doors, he looked around the familiar building—nothing had changed since his last visit, though it was earlier in the day and there were less people fighting or passed out on the floor.

He strode over to the bar, ordered a whisky, and as the burly native barman poured, Edward whispered, "I'm looking for Riley Biers."

"First floor, third room on the left."

Edward downed his shot and slammed the glass back down on the bar, before nodding his appreciation and heading towards the stairs. A number of scantily clad women caressed his arm or propositioned him, but he barely noticed—there were other things on his mind.

After finding the door in question, Edward knocked. "Riley Biers?"

"Who's asking?"

Edward heard rustling inside the room. "A friend of Bella Swan."

There was a click and the door opened slightly. A boy, lucky if he was out of his teens, peered through the crack. "Come on in. Does anyone know you're here?"

"Only the barman."

Edward walked inside, and Riley closed the door behind him, looking around nervously.

"I don't see any bags—did you bring the money?"

Edward turned and stared. "I'm more interested in collecting a ransom than paying one. I'd say that you're so nervous because you know that you don't have anything to give in return for the money. You know who her father is...and who he works for?"

"I'm well aware of who is involved. What do you know about Isabella Swan? Where is she now?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Edward smiled. The boy's panic was obvious—he'd never make a poker player. "Collect the ransom money, we'll give you a cut, and I'll make sure you've got a girl to hand over. Deal?"

Riley gave Edward a narrow-eyed stare. "Is she well? Unharmed? My life could depend on it."

"She's well."

Riley paced. "For a two grand cut, I'm in, but I'm going to need to see her with my own eyes first—just to be sure."

Edward shook his head. "No deal. One grand and I keep the girl hidden away until it's time to hand her over."

"Still no deal. One grand and I see the girl, even if it's from a distance. Like I say, my life depends on her being alive and well cared for. Meet me behind the tanners at the edge of town in twenty minutes."

Edward thought about it for a moment. There was no way that he was putting Bella in harm's way.

"I'll discuss the matter with my associate and meet you behind the tanners. The girl won't be there, but I might take you to her. Are you sure you want to leave your post unattended? Her father could arrive any moment."

"I need to see the girl." Riley seemed pretty insistent.

"Okay. Behind the tanners—twenty minutes. Then we'll discuss what my associate and I have decided. Be there. Don't be late."

With that, Edward left the room, and Riley exhaled in relief.

"Victoria, did you hear that? He's got her." Riley went to open the wardrobe door to congratulate his love, but another knock interrupted him.

"Riley?"

"What? I thought we agreed—"

The door imploded and two bulky figures in slick looking black suits rushed inside. An olive-skinned man with a long dark ponytail drew back his gloved fist as his larger friend roughly grabbed Riley.

"Courtesy of my employer, Mr. Biers." The fist connected with Riley's face, and he slumped in Felix's arms. Demetri straightened his black leather gloves. "Let's get him to Mr. Volturi immediately."

Once Riley had been dragged out of the room and it had been silent for a sufficient amount of time, Victoria climbed out of her hiding place.

It seemed that the Volturis weren't interested in paying the ransom, but Victoria could barely bring herself to be concerned. The most important thing was that she had James's killer exactly where she wanted him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Halfway to Repentance**

_The spittoon in the corner of the saloon might be mine, but I think I'll pass. SM owns Aro Volturi…and he owns almost everything else._

~X~

PART FIVE

~X~

Charlie Swan looked around for somewhere to tie up his horse near Repentance's sheriff's building. It seemed that, judging by the number of horses tied, that most of the others had already arrived.

Once their horses were secure, Charlie opened the door to find a crowded room, which instantly fell silent as he, Billy, and Jacob entered.

"Ah, Charles. We were wondering when you would arrive. My men are apprehending Riley Biers as we speak. Did you find anything?"

"Yes, Mr. Volturi." Sheriff Swan looked awkward. "Can we have a private word?"

"Certainly." Aro signaled his most trusted man, Horatio Caius—a vicious former British navy officer known for his cruel and unusual punishments. "Come and find me when they bring Mr. Biers in, Caius."

"Yes, Mr. Volturi."

Charlie Swan ambled outside, scratching his moustache. "Mr. Volturi..."

"What is it, Sheriff?" The richest man in the area hung on Sheriff Swan's every word, and it made him feel uncomfortable. Charlie had no idea how he was going to react to his news.

"The original kidnappers don't have Bella anymore. Two of them were killed down at Forks Pass."

"And the third?

"We have no idea. We separated and Bob Newton followed the sharpshooting redhead. Is he here yet?"

Aro shook his head. "No, we haven't seen or heard from Bob Newton. We assumed that he was still travelling with you."

Charlie fell silent—the route across the plains was straighter and quicker going than the trail he had taken. He hoped and prayed that Bob had turned back towards Volterra town, and not fallen victim to the very person he was tailing.

"Bella isn't with the redhead. Someone else took her north, up by the Denali place. We have one of the Denali girls with us now. She says that Bella is with Edward Masen Junior, and he's coming here to claim the ransom on her himself."

In shock, Aro reeled. "Edward Masen Junior—are you sure?"

"Yes, it seems that he's a regular up at the Denalis. He wronged one of the girls there and her sister wants to see justice done."

"As do we all, Charles. And Masen is coming here now…with Isabella?"

"That's right. We trailed him all the way here. We must have missed catching up with him by an hour or so."

Aro walked over to Charlie and took his hands. "Thank you, Charles, for giving me this information. I'm very grateful. We'll do all we can to make sure that we rescue Isabella from this...animal, I assure you."

"Thank you, Mr. Volturi."

"Mr. Volturi?" A voice called out. "Riley Biers has arrived."

~X~

"Remember, stay out of sight. If I'm not back in half an hour, assume that I'm gone."

"Go to the Denalis—I know, I know. Now stop talking like this is the last time I'm going to see you." Bella chewed her lip. "Come back soon, Edward."

No one had ever been this concerned about his wellbeing since his mother. It was nice, but then the difficult side was that Edward was also fraught with worry about how safe Bella would be while he was gone.

Why were they doing this again? Oh yes, because she'd said that she wanted money so they could run away together. At what point had Edward thrown the common sense that had gotten him through life out of the window? That's right—the second he'd met Miss. Isabella Swan.

He had it bad—in fact, he had it so bad that he was beginning to question what little sanity he had left. Aro Volturi was in town, and that made Repentance a very difficult place to be right now. Edward was as good as dead unless he left immediately. Instead, he was trying to steal a ransom and one of Aro Volturi's sheriff's daughters from under his nose.

This had to be one of the craziest things he'd ever done in his life, but when Bella smiled, it seemed like exactly the right thing to be doing.

"Okay, wish me luck."

With that, Edward pulled his hat as far down as he could over his eyes and made his way to the tanners to meet Riley.

There was no way that Bella wasn't going to follow him, but she held back, peeking around the side of the wooden buildings until she could spy a new hiding place.

Victoria sat behind the tanners with her hat pulled down and her unruly red hair tucked up as best as she could. With her trousers, chaps, and one of Riley's checked shirts, she knew she could pass for him at a distance. Once _he_ got close enough to tell the difference, then he'd be close enough to be dead.

Out of the corner of her eye, Victoria saw movement. She got to her feet and pretended to stretch, wriggling her trigger finger and making sure that she was well aware of the exact position of her pistol as the dark figure grew near. He also had his hat pulled down and was wearing a poncho—though it was thrown over one of his shoulders so his pistols were also easy accessible.

She saw the exact moment the realization hit him that she wasn't Riley.

"This is for James."

Before she'd finished speaking, her gun was in her hand the trigger squeezed. With barely a second to feel relief that she'd managed to draw first, there was a bang, and Victoria looked on in satisfaction as a pool of red began forming in the vicinity of her latest victim's stomach.

As he stumbled backwards, Edward gaped in shock as he glanced between the redhead's gun and the wound that it had caused. He then looked down at his own smoking pistol, and then at the matching pool of red on his opponent. Her gaze followed his, and it seemed that only then she realized that she'd also been shot.

Victoria lifted her fingers to her chest and they came away bloody. Dropping to her knees, the pain suddenly registered. Confused at how someone could be possibly be quicker than her, she gave Edward another look before her eyes became blank and staring. Victoria slumped face first into the sand.

Edward grimaced, and put his hand to the oozing wound that was staining his shirt and his trousers red. It was then that he felt arms around him.

"Edward, come on." His face turned and found Bella. She wound his arm around her shoulders and dragged him away. "Come on—we need to find someone to help."

Feeling every pull of his body tugging on his wound, Edward moved as best as he could. Bella led him up the street and between a couple of wooden buildings.

~X~

Demetri and Felix dragged Riley along by his arms to the spot he'd said that the new kidnapper was due to meet him. Behind them Sheriff Swan, Sheriff Whitlock, Aro Volturi, and the rest of the posse followed.

Sheriff Whitlock was the first to see the body lying on the floor, and he raced ahead, turning it over onto its back.

"It's a girl—the redhead."

Riley looked on in horror, whispering Victoria's name under his breath.

Aro Volturi looked irritated. "Well, your associate is here as promised, Mr. Biers. Where are Masen and Miss. Swan?"

Felix gave him a swift punch to encourage him to talk.

"I don't know. Like I said, he was going to meet me here to talk...and then take me to the girl."

Caius walked up to the informant. "If you value your life, I suggest you give us a little more information to go on."

"That's all I know, I promise. I could go back to the bar and wait for him to come back. He seemed pretty set on that ransom."

All eyes turned to Aro Volturi, who was deep in thought. Jacob Black was the only one who wasn't waiting for Aro's thoughts on the matter, and he dropped to his knees, examined the dirt, and then broke the silence.

"Whoever shot the redhead was wounded themselves. Look—there's a blood trail."

Sheriff Jasper Whitlock stepped forward. "Lock Mr. Biers away. We'll see if we can find this outlaw, and if we fail, we'll come back and speak to him a little more."

Jasper had a strong feeling that Mr. Volturi was considering being Riley Biers judge, jury, and executioner right here in the street. He had no idea how law and order worked over in New Volterra, but here in Repentance, Sheriff Whitlock gave justice more than lip service.

Repentance was a harsh town—barely twenty-four, Jasper had fallen into the position of Sheriff after all his predecessors had met a sticky end. A man's life expectancy dropped sharply as soon as they pinned that badge to their jacket. So far, Jasper had defied the odds and had made it past the six month mark.

He kept up with the Indian boy as he followed the trail up the street and between two wooden buildings. The blood spatters then followed the road down toward the saloon, where a number of horses were tied.

A large man that Jasper knew as Emmett McCarty was standing there unfastening his saddle.

"Hey, Emmett. Have you seen a man and girl pass this way? Girl is short and dark. Man would be tall with a bleeding gunshot wound."

"Sure, yeah. I seen 'em." Emmett stopped what he was doing and looked at the gathering behind the Sheriff. "Untied a couple of horses and headed that way. Seemed in a bit of a hurry." Emmett pointed toward the main way out of town, and everyone's head turned to see if they could see riders in the distance. Beyond the houses, there was nothing but sand, sun, and scrub.

"Thanks, Emmett. I owe you one."

Suddenly, there was a flurry of activity, and the posse ran down the street toward the Sheriff's office where their horses were tied.

"Hold on a darn minute." Charlie shouted above the chaos. "We can't all go charging out in the desert with no idea where we're going. If there's a trail, we don't want to trample it and lose them."

"I know where he'll be heading if he's looking for someplace to hide out." A woman's voice rang out clearly, and all eyes were on Irina. "If he's hurt and needs something, he'll go straight to my sisters."

The chaos began anew as everyone mounted their horses and took off. Sheriff Whitlock stayed behind with a few men to make sure no one came back for Riley Biers—and to make sure that the town didn't fall apart in the meantime.

As the horses galloped past, Emmett lifted his hat in greeting, and then kicked a little sand onto a spot of blood he'd missed when hiding the trail leading up to Dr. Cullen's place.

~X~

Dr. Cullen climbed out of the attic to find the anxious girl waiting at the bottom of the ladder.

"I've stopped the bleeding and he'll live, but I'm going to need to keep an eye on him to make sure that it doesn't get infected."

"Can I go up and see him?"

"Sure, but let him get some rest. My wife will be up with a change of clothes for you, Miss..."

"Mrs. Masen."

"Of course, Mrs. Masen."

Carlisle Cullen waited to make sure the girl got into the attic safely. He hadn't seen a wedding ring, and the girl's bloody dress and the man's gunshot wound made him think there was more to this than she was letting on. Still, it was obvious that they cared for one another, and who was he to judge whether they were married or not?

Technically, he and Esme had never exchanged rings and vows in sight of the Lord. Legally, Esme was still married to someone else if he was still alive. Though if there was any justice in the world, Charles Evenson would be long dead and burning in the pit for the cruelty he'd subjected his young wife to.

Carlisle's own situation was why he was so determined to help the bloodied couple that Emmett had pushed through his door. He assumed the girl's name was Bella, as his patient had called the name out a number of times as he'd removed the bullet and cleaned the wound.

Dr. Cullen walked into the main bedroom and poured some water from the jug into the bowl to wash his hands. Esme came in soon after.

"Are they okay?"

"Yes, the girl is unhurt. The blood all belonged to the man, and he'll be okay once his wound heals. They could both do with a change of clothes."

As Esme sorted through her dresser, little Alice burst through the door. "Mom. Dad. Emmett's back—I think you need to hear this."

Their older daughter, Rosalie, was engaged to be married to Emmett McCarty in a few months time. He was a good, simple man—a rare find here in Repentance. Certainly, Rosalie's first fiancé had turned out to be a lesser character despite his good breeding and money.

Being the best looking girl in town was a blessing and a curse. Rosalie had been barely old enough to begin courting when she'd gotten involved with Royce King, the bank manager's son, against her parents' better judgment. Carlisle was horrified to be proven right when Old Mrs. McCarty had knocked on his door.

Her so-called fiancé had left Rosalie for dead in the street, half-naked and beaten within an inch of her life, but luckily, one of Mrs. McCarty's older boys had found her. When Rosalie finally came around, she was hysterical. Whatever Royce had done to Rose, he'd scarred her for life—not physically, but on the inside.

It was Old Mrs. McCarty's suggestion that her sons teach her to defend herself and how to shoot that finally brought Rosalie's mind back to her body. When Royce King and his close friends started disappearing one by one, Carlisle thought that maybe the McCarty's were teaching her a little too well.

Despite her new found hardness and cool detachment, Rosalie had also found solace in Emmett, and for that Carlisle was glad. In those early days, he'd doubted she'd ever find any kind of normality, but that was exactly what Emmett did for her, and he also had the patience to put up with Rose's darker moods.

He only hoped that Alice would never know the pain that her older sister had been through. With dismay, Dr. Cullen was beginning to notice more boys look Alice's way, and begged that she would never lose the naivety and childishness that he loved so much.

Carlisle and Esme followed their younger daughter downstairs and into the parlor.

"Dr. Cullen…Mrs. Cullen—the couple that came in earlier, the Sheriff's looking for them, and I'm sure the Volturis are with the posse."

"Did they say what they wanted them for?" Carlisle took a seat, and sat stiffly. He'd heard one too many rumors from New Volterra to feel comfortable with the news about who was following the young couple he was hiding.

"I went down to the Sheriff's office once I directed the posse out of town. They seemed pretty desperate to find 'em. Speaking to the Sheriff, he says that the man is called Edward Masen—a known thief and murderer. He's kidnapped the sheriff of New Volterra's daughter—Isabella Swan. Same hair color and height as that girl as came in."

Emmett toyed with the hat in his hand.

"Well, what are you sitting around for? We've found them—let's go and let the sheriff know where they are." Rosalie got to her feet and made for the door.

"Rosalie, wait!" Alice cried out. "Daddy, you're not going to turn them in, are you? I don't think they're bad people."

Carlisle put his hand on Alice's dark hair. "I think there's more to this situation than we know about. Though I am certain that we have Edward Masen and Miss. Isabella Swan upstairs, she introduced herself as Mrs. Masen, and I get the feeling that there's more between them than just kidnapper and victim."

"Daddy—the Volturis are involved. If we don't hand them over..." Rosalie's face grew red with anger.

Carlisle held his hand up. "If you were kidnapped, Rose, I'd do my utmost to find you...but if I found out that it was Emmett that had taken you, and that you were less than inclined to come back, then what would I do? Would I hand him over to people who make their own laws?"

"He's a known murderer—and he's upstairs."

"There are many reasons that a man might kill another man, and not all of then born of an evil mind. A lot of people fall into bad existences because they have no other choice. Look out of that window—you see it every day. Our family has done questionable things in the past—justified things—but do I think that puts us past redemption? Not worth a second chance?"

Rosalie visibly shrank, and turned towards Emmett, allowing him to wrap her in his arms.

Esme came over and put her hand on her husband's shoulder. "If she brought him in here wounded and asked us to hide them, then that sounds more like an elopement than a kidnapping to me." Husband and wife shared a look. It was a little too similar to their own history.

Someone cleared their throat in the doorway, and the Cullen family turned to find Bella standing there.

"Please can Edward have a little water?"

~X~

Bella climbed back up the ladders into the loft. Edward was still lying on the makeshift bed with his arm over his face.

"They know who we are."

Edward tried to sit and then screwed his face up, his hand dropping to the bandage wrapped around his middle. "We have to get out of here."

"I don't think you're going anywhere for a while, Edward."

"But—"

"They're not going to turn us in—at least, I don't think so. We could wait here for a while..."

Edward lay back down on the bed. "Your father's probably out there. You could walk out that door, down to the sheriff's office, and you might even be home by tomorrow morning." He closed his eyes to the pain of Bella going away and him never seeing her again.

"I'm not going to do that. We have a deal, remember?" Bella smiled as Edward opened one eye to look at her.

"We can forget that ransom money. It's too dangerous."

"I don't give a damn about the money, Edward. Sure, it would have been a nice start to our new life, but we don't need it." She grabbed his free hand. "You're stuck with me."

Edward laughed, but then stopped as it hurt too much. "Don't I know it? You'll be the death of me, Bella Swan."

Sheepishly, Bella tangled her fingers with his. "Actually, I told the doctor my name was Bella Masen."

"You did?"

Bella didn't have the chance to reply as footsteps began making their way up the ladder.

"Hello, I'm Esme Cullen. I brought you some water." She left a jug by the entrance hatch, before her head bobbed down and back up. "We also brought you a change of clothes—a couple of old dresses of mine from when I was younger, and some of Carlisle's shirts and pants."

"Thank you," Edward croaked. "I'm really grateful."

"You're welcome. Rosalie will come up to give you a shave in a short while. Be careful—she's a little rough with the razor." Esme said warmly. "Bella, there's a spare bed in the guest room—"

"I want to stay here...with Edward."

Both Edward and Esme stared.

"Well, I could bring up a few blankets..."

"Thank you. I'd really appreciate that."

With a final look, possibly one of sympathy, Esme disappeared and Edward tried to sit up again. "Bella..."

"I'm sleeping here. It's not as if you're in any state to be getting any ideas."

Edward angled himself awkwardly to turn and look at Bella, and said nothing as he wondered what she was thinking.

"We're in this together, Edward. I'm not going anywhere unless I'm right by your side."

Easing himself back into a lying down position, he felt Bella rubbing the back of his hand. "You're not going to leave my side, huh? Well that's going to make taking a bath a whole lot more interesting."

"I'm trying to be more like you, remember? That means baths are off the agenda."

Both Bella and Edward smirked.

That night, as they fell asleep, Bella still had her hand tangled with his.


	6. Chapter 6

**Halfway to Repentance**

_The Wild West theme might have come from the dark recesses of my brain, but it all belongs to SM._

~X~

PART SIX

~X~

It was nightfall when the posse arrived at the Denali ranch, exhausted by their non-stop ride, but not one person had wanted to take a break.

Their way lit by torches and moonlight, a few squares of orange light in the distance told them that they were heading the right way. Irina began to grow nervous the closer she got to her home, dreading the reaction of her sisters and surrogate Mom and Dad as the men dragged Edward away.

As they got near, Eleazar burst onto the porch, rifle in hand. "What do you want?"

Aro Volturi took charge of the situation. "We're looking for an outlaw—Edward Masen. Has he passed by this way? He's got a young woman with him by the name of Isabella Swan."

"We told the good sheriff before. We haven't seen him."

Charlie turned to Aro. "Yeah, they said the same thing last time we came by this place. The girl here had Bella's hat and said the rest of them were lying." Charlie was hunched in his saddle, exhaustion beginning to catch up with him.

"Get in there and see who you find. Search everywhere." Aro nodded toward Caius, Demetri, and Felix.

"Hold it right there. You can't come trespassing on my property." Eleazar raised his rifle. "I told you—he isn't here."

"If he isn't here, then you won't mind us coming inside and having a look around."

"No." Eleazar kept his rifle trained on Caius. "You're not stepping foot inside my house. You have no business here."

Aro rolled his eyes and pulled out his pistol, aiming it at Irina Denali. "You'll let us come inside, old man, and we'll bring out every single person in this house of yours. Caius, go ahead."

The Volturi henchmen apprehensively passed Eleazar as he turned his head away and lowered his rifle. He then gave Irina a look of utter disappointment, and she hung her head in shame.

After a while, Caius walked out of the house pushing a barely dressed Kate and an unknown gentleman. Demetri and Felix brought out Tanya and Carmen in an equally rough manner.

"There's no one else inside." Caius pushed the man to the floor. "What's your name?"

"That's not Edward Masen." Jacob came forward. "That's Mr. Garrett. He has a small farm north of New Volterra. He has a wife...kids..."

Aro Volturi chuckled. "Your familly might not be too pleased to find out that you've been visiting establishments such as this, hmm?" He trotted his horse closer to the house. "Burn it. Burn it all."

Eleazar made a move but Caius knocked him to the ground with the butt of his rifle. A pair of Volturi men broke windows and threw their torches inside.

"Mr. Volturi, I don't feel comfortable with this." Charlie Swan spoke up.

Aro looked at him in surprise. "Why, Charles, we're doing this community a valuable public service. This is a house of sin, run by whores for low lives and outlaws. Your daughter stayed here. Can you imagine what they did to her? At the very least they robbed the clothes off her back—"

"That's not how it happened." Tanya spoke up despite Demetri's hand around her throat, holding her head at an uncomfortable angle. "She agreed to leave the dress in return for food and a place to stay for the night."

Tanya caught Aro's full attention. "Is that so? A good Christian woman would have offered a kidnapped girl food and board for free. But then, you're the kind of woman who keeps their love and affections for the highest bidder. You lied to an officer of the law, allowing a known murderer to escape, and leaving an innocent young woman in peril."

"No—"

"Shoot them all."

Inside the building, flames were taking hold and growing by the second. Caius and the rest of Aro's men each aimed at one of the Denalis or their customer.

"Wait!" Garrett spoke up. "Mercy, please. I have a wife and child."

Aro Volturi gave a chilling smile. "Then I'll make sure they're adequately compensated for your death, Mr. Garrett."

There was a series of cracks that echoed across the plain, and a number of bodies dropped to the floor. Jacob closed his eyes and looked away in disgust.

~X~

Edward lay on his bed, looking down at Bella curled up into a ball on a rumpled pile of blankets on the floor. She was beautiful when she was awake, but as she slept, she looked positively angelic.

And this woman was determined to be with him, so it seemed. Edward found it hard to believe. What had he ever done to deserve her? Absolutely nothing—in fact, he'd done plenty to ensure that he didn't.

Bella began to stir, her eyes flickered, and then she awoke.

"Morning..." Edward drawled.

Her mouth twitched and then she yawned. "Good morning. How are you feeling today?"

"Amazing." Edward smiled as he responded, and then grimaced. "Sore."

"Should I go get the doctor?" Bella looked concerned.

Edward shook his head. "No, looking at you is all the medicine I need."

This time Bella laughed out loud. "I never figured you for a sweet talker."

"It's the effect you have on me." Edward's lopsided grin made an appearance.

They talked for a while, about Bella's life in New York, her mother, and having to get to know her father all over again. Then Dr. Cullen came in to change Edward's bandages and for a while the conversation ceased.

"Dr. Cullen, thank you so much for all your assistance and hospitality, but my wife and I need to get out of town as soon as possible. If there's anything you could do for us...I know it's a lot to ask."

"We'll help however we can, Mr. Masen. It doesn't take a lot to see that you're not the kidnapper everyone seems to think you are. I'd hate to see an innocent man hanged for a crime he didn't commit."

Bella flinched at the word "hanged".

"The word innocent doesn't really apply to me, Dr. Cullen, and I doubt that Aro Volturi would let it get as far as a hanging. We have a long history."

Dr. Cullen finished changing Edward's bandages. "My family and I have been talking. Everyone thinks that you both left town a day or so ago—they're looking for you out on the plains. If you take a couple of horses, how long are you going to be able to hide out there with so many people searching? You're not going to find many friendly faces in town—most men out there would sell their soul for a couple of hundred dollars."

"I have friends. I will go and stay with them for a while."

"The Denalis?" Carlisle stared Edward in the eye. "They're looking for you there now. A girl gave them your name and Bella's hat. They know you were there. I'd advise against going back out there any time soon."

Edward sat up suddenly and then doubled over himself in agony as he pulled his wound. So, Aro Volturi knew that Edward Masen had been in town, and that he was involved in Bella's kidnapping. Even worse, Edward's actions had led his enemy right to his friends' front door. God help them.

One thing was certain, the longer he and Bella lingered, the more people would get hurt. The Cullens had been very helpful, and didn't deserve the trouble that would come if Aro Volturi ever found out that they'd been involved.

"Then the sooner we leave the better."

"My future son-in-law, Emmett, works down at the train station. There's a freight train coming through tomorrow, heading north. They're looking for someone on horseback..."

"I get what you're saying. It's a good idea." Edward turned to Bella. "Fancy catching a train and seeing what we can find up north?"

Bella nodded. "Sure. Wherever you go, I go."

Once Dr. Cullen disappeared and Esme had brought them a plate of breakfast each, Bella settled herself on the bed beside Edward.

"You called me your wife."

Edward looked at Bella seriously. "You told the Cullens we were married. I was just following on from that."

"Oh, okay."

Edward took one of Bella's hands and toyed with her ring finger. "I don't think they believe us."

"For all they know, I could have lost my ring."

"True." Edward's long fingers were suddenly still. "Once we get out of here, maybe we should get you a new one?"

Bella gasped and looked up at him in shock. "I thought you said you weren't the marrying type?"

"I was a lot of things until I met you. You know, for the first time, I can see the advantage of finding myself with a little patch of land, a wife, and knocking out a few kids..."

Bella caught the hand that was playing with hers and pulled it up towards her lips, pressing a kiss to Edward's palm. "Is that a proposal?"

"I guess you could say that it is, Mrs. Masen. I could understand if you want to say no—after all, we only met a few days ago and hardly under the best of circumstances."

"I don't care about the circumstances. All I care about is that I've found you..."

Edward winced, being reminded of how devastating he was for Bella's sense of morality. "Doesn't it bother you that since we met, three people have died at my hands? I'm a killer, Bella."

"That doesn't matter. I don't care how many people you've killed."

"You should, Bella. I'm not a good man—what makes you think I'd make a good husband?"

"What? You propose and now you're trying to put me off?" Bella sat up—her eyes flashing with anger. "If you've changed your mind or didn't mean it, just say."

Edward put his arms around Bella more firmly. "I'm not going to change my mind. I'm just well aware that you could find a better husband than me."

"I don't want anyone else. I want you."

The couple stared at each other, before Edward brought his head in slowly. His mouth met Bella's and her lips parted automatically. Bella tried to deepen the kiss but Edward pulled away.

"Not until we're married. I don't want you ruining my reputation."

"Your reputation, huh?" Bella picked small balls of fluff from the blanket, and then initiated another kiss.

Edward mumbled into her mouth. "You know, it's not too late for you to change your mind, Bella."

Bella whispered in response as she pressed kisses along his jaw. "It's not too late for you, either."

He ran his hand up her back. "That's where you're wrong. I was doomed from the moment I missed that shot."

~X~

Sheriff Whitlock was jolted awake when the door burst open and Aro Volturi and Sheriff Swan walked in.

"In need of your beauty sleep, Sheriff?"

Jasper rubbed his eyes. "Sorry. I closed my eyes for just a second." He looked out of the window to see that another day had gone by and the sun was setting again. Mentally, he counted the number of days it had been since he'd seen a bed. Not since he'd heard about the kidnap of Isabella Swan, that was for sure.

A quick glance told him that Riley Biers was still secure in his cell.

"Any sign?"

Aro Volturi took a seat at the opposite side of the desk. "No. We spent all day looking for trails in the middle of nowhere and found nothing. If they left Repentance, they covered their tracks well. They weren't at the Denali ranch."

"Then I'll call on Emmett McCarty and ask him a few questions—see if he was mistaken."

Caius walked over to the cell. "While you do that, there are a few questions that we'd like to ask Master Biers." Riley cowered in the corner.

Jasper paused and wondered whether leaving Riley to the Volturis was the right thing to do. "It's getting late, and it would be rude to call on innocent people this time of night. We've all gone days without sleep. There are plenty of rooms at the saloon, and I suggest we all take advantage and get a little shut eye—."

"Sheriff Whitlock, I don't know how you do things here in Repentance, but my sheriffs..."

"With all due respect, Mr. Volturi, I'm not one of your sheriffs. You don't own Repentance and I call the shots here. We start afresh tomorrow."

The atmosphere in the crowded office suddenly became tense.

Aro Volturi got to his feet. "As you wish, Sheriff. I'm sure we could all benefit from a clear head and a fresh start. I just hope that nothing bad happens to Miss Swan while we're sleeping..."

With that, he turned and left the office, his men leaving behind him but not before giving Sheriff Whitlock a meaningful stare. Sheriff Swan and his native companions remained behind.

"Sheriff Whitlock, the informant that told us that Masen and my daughter headed out of town—do you trust him?"

Jasper took his hat off and placed it on the table, his curly blonde hair sticking to his scalp. "Emmett McCarty is a good man, and you don't find many of them around here. He would always do the right thing. If it had been anyone else, then I would be suspicious." Jasper looked at the concern on his counterpart's face. "I'll speak to him tomorrow. Just make sure nothing happens to him—" Jasper pointed toward the prisoner in his cell. "—while I'm not here."

"We have a deal. I don't want to see anyone else get hurt—there's been enough senseless violence for one day. All I want is my daughter back."

"I understand, Sheriff Swan. Now, go get some sleep."

The final visitors left Jasper's office, and he put his feet up on his desk, too tired to make his way to the room he rented.

"Please don't let them hurt me," Riley pleaded through the bars.

"Be quiet. You brought this on yourself by getting involved in the first place." Folding his arms across his chest, Jasper closed his eyes.

~X~

Bella didn't move from her position by Edward's side, but she couldn't sleep. Instead, she watched Edward breathing in and out, fascinated by the way that this man that she'd met so recently seemed to have become the very core of her existence.

Now she knew of him, there was no way she could survive without him—he was like air for her. It was difficult to pinpoint an exact moment where she'd fallen in love, but she felt it intensely. For better or worse, she loved Edward Masen Junior—despite all of his flaws, which were many.

His eyes opened wide. "You're looking at me."

"I can't get used to you clean shaven."

Bella saw the flash of Edward's teeth in the dark. "Then I'll not shave again until our wedding day."

Succumbing to the butterflies in her stomach, Bella took the opportunity to run her hand across Edward's cheekbone. Edward took a sharp intake of breath.

"I keep expecting to wake up and find myself back in my bed at my father's house."

Edward laughed. "Why? Because this seems like a nightmare?"

"No," Bella breathed. "No. Edward, this is more than I ever dreamed of. I never thought when I arrived here I'd find someone who would understand me. The fact is that, the person who needed to understand was _me_. Life isn't perfect, and people even less so, but all that matters is finding someone—that one person who can accept you exactly as you are, warts and all."

Edward shifted his weight on the bed. "You're a pain in the ass, but that's why I like you."

"That's exactly what I mean, and I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should." Edward brushed a strand of Bella's hair back from her face. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Before you, life was all about survival. You gave me hope, Bella—something to wish for. It's been a long time since I had anything to dream about."

For a while, the only sound was of two people breathing, and then their mouths fused as one.

~X~

At first light, Jasper Whitlock was awake. The first of the New Volterra posse to arrive at the sheriff's office was Sheriff Swan and his native assistants. Once he was sure that there was someone who would prevent any major harm happening to his captive, Jasper left the office and made his way to the McCarty household.

Emmett McCarty was the youngest of seven. Many of his older brothers had already perished in bar brawls and gunfights, but Emmett had always been comparatively well-behaved and kept out of trouble. Before he'd become Sheriff, Jasper had even thought of him as a friend.

Jasper's ability to read people and understand how they were feeling was what had kept him alive so far. He would bet heavily on Emmett's moral compass.

Once he reached his destination, he knocked on the door, very conscious of the early hour.

"Who is it?" Jasper heard the sound of elderly Mrs. McCarty's voice from indoors.

"Sheriff Jasper Whitlock, ma'am. I've come to ask Emmett a few questions."

The door opened. "Oh, he's not in trouble, is he?"

Jasper couldn't help but smile as the familiar face of Mrs. McCarty smiled back at him.

"No, I just need to ask him a few more questions about an incident he witnessed yesterday."

"Haven't seen much of him for days, Sheriff. He's been spending most of his time over at the Cullen place." Mrs. McCarty pointed across the street. "Since that Miss. Cullen moved in, he practically lives there. Only comes home to sleep."

"Ain't that just the nature of things, Mrs. McCarty."

Jasper made his apologies and made his way across to the doctor's surgery. Dr. Cullen had two daughters that Jasper was all too aware of—tall, blonde Rosalie had inspired many a fight that he'd had to break up. Rumor was that Royce King and his cronies were killed because of her, too. They happened when Jasper was just a deputy, and they were still the ugliest murders he'd seen so far.

And then there was Alice Cullen. Against common opinion, the sheriff had often stated that the younger, more personable Miss. Cullen would make the finer wife of the two once she was older.

Knocking at the door, it wasn't long before Carlisle Cullen answered. "Good morning, Sheriff. How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Emmett McCarty. His mother said that he might be here."

"Emmett? Sure, I'll go and fetch him for you. One moment."

Jasper waited on the porch, listening to the sound of rushing feet indoors.

"Jasper—I mean, Sheriff Whitlock. You called for me?"

"Yeah. Sorry for the early hour. I wanted to ask a few questions about the information you gave us yesterday."

"Sure, shoot." Emmett stood up straight and folded his arms—a gesture that Jasper was always wary of.

"You said that the girl and the injured man took a couple of horses and headed straight out of town..."

"Yeah, that's what they did."

"Is there anything else you could tell us? Did they say anything? Give you an idea of where they were headed?"

Emmett shrugged his shoulders. "No, they didn't say a word. Just got on those horses and left. That way." He pointed down the street.

Jasper pushed up his hat with his forefinger. "But yesterday, you said they went that way..." The sheriff pointed in the opposite direction.

"Oh, yeah—sorry. Opposite side of the street confusing me. Yes, they went that way."

Emmett beamed wide and Jasper took a moment to watch his reaction. Emmett's eyes looked shifty—he wasn't telling the truth.

"Is there anything else—anything at all that you could tell us?"

"No, I'm sorry," Emmett replied. "I hope you find them soon."

Jasper wasn't convinced, but instead he gave a wide smile. "I hope so, too. Take care, Emmett...and see you soon."

"Sure will, Jasper."

Emmett headed back indoors, and Sheriff Whitlock went back to his office…with a great deal of food for thought.


	7. Chapter 7

**Halfway to Repentance**

_Tissues at the ready? Okay, then read on…and read the epilogue before bringing out the pitchforks…_

_Twilight is all Stephenie's. 3:10 to Yuma belongs to…erm…whoever owns 3:10 to Yuma—i.e. not me._

~X~

PART SEVEN

~X~

As she put on her clothes, Bella looked back at the bed.

"You know it's rude to watch a woman dress herself."

Edward smiled. "I know."

They shared a knowing smile, interrupted by young Alice Cullen's head appearing in the hatch.

"I think you both need to come downstairs—now."

Tentatively, Edward made his way down the ladders, followed by Bella who hastily straightened her outfit once her feet touched the floor. The Cullen family was gathered in one of the girls' bedrooms.

Edward stepped over to the net curtain and saw a crowd outside on the street below.

"Oh, fuck."

"Pardon you, Mr. Masen. There are ladies present," Carlisle scolded, but Edward was too distracted to apologize.

After seeing enough, Edward moved further away from the window and paced. "What time does that train arrive?"

"A quarter past twelve. It'll wait at the platform for half an hour, and then leave—no matter what," Emmett said from the corner of the room.

Bella walked over to her new fiancé and put her arms around his waist.

"Edward Masen," a voice shouted from the street below. "The building is surrounded. Give up the girl and come out with your hands up."

Running his hands down his face, Edward extricated himself from Bella and got a little closer to the window, his back to the wall and keeping his head well back.

"Now why would I want to go and do a thing like that?" he yelled.

"Come on, Masen. Come out now and no one need get hurt. All we want is the girl back."

"What if I said that I wasn't involved in the kidnap—that this was all just one big misunderstanding?"

"Then we'd talk about it." Jasper Whitlock looked up at the window, feeling the pressure from the many bodies behind him to say the right thing. If Edward Masen was really as dangerous as they said, then he was in a very vulnerable position.

"Somehow, I don't think that's very likely, Sheriff. I see who is down there with you."

Jasper looked across at Aro Volturi who met his gaze. "You have my word, Mr. Masen. Come down and I'll look at the situation in a fair and impartial manner."

Edward stared at Bella who was chewing on her bottom lip. "Let her father know that the girl is safe and being well looked after."

"Duly noted, Masen."

"What about the Cullens? They're good, God fearing people. If I come out, can you promise me that they won't be punished for crimes they had no involvement in?"

It took a little longer for the Sheriff to reply this time.

"If our investigations show that they did nothing wrong, then you have my word that the law won't punish them."

Edward found it hard to suppress a smile of disbelief. "It's not the law that I'm worried about, Sheriff."

With that, he stepped over to Bella, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair. "I have to turn myself in."

"No!" Bella exclaimed. "No, you can't do that. You know as well as I do that would be suicide."

"Bella, we're surrounded."

"No. I'm not letting you walk out of that door to certain death." Bella took him by the arms, and stared at him defiantly.

"Every way out of this building leads to certain death. The only question is how many people I take with me." He looked around at the Cullens. "I'm sorry that I brought this to your door. It was never my intention."

Carlisle stepped forward. "We made our own choices, guided by our own consciences. If I had my time again, I would do the same thing. No matter what people say, Mr. Masen, you have a good soul. What kind of good Samaritan would I be if I stood by and let you walk out there alone?"

Edward lowered his head. "I appreciate everything you've done, but please, I think it's all for the best if you remove yourselves from the situation now. Go hide in the loft—say that I held you all at gunpoint. I've caused enough trouble for one lifetime, and I don't want to cause any more suffering than I have to from here on."

Not one person made a move.

Rosalie was the next to speak up. "Aro Volturi is out there. He doesn't forgive anyone who crosses him. We're as good as dead anyway, so we might as well go out on our own terms."

Esme's eyes softened as she looked at first Edward, and then her husband. "There's only a slim chance that this story could end well, but there'll be no happy ending for me unless I know that did all I could to help these two be together. If we let him walk out there on his own, then we're as just as guilty for what happens to him as Aro Volturi's men."

"Then God have mercy on all of us for the hell I'm about to bring down on you all." Edward gave everyone a solemn look. "Emmett, you say that train arrives at twelve fifteen and stays for half an hour?"

"Yep, that's right."

"Then, we leave here at twelve thirty. We have fifteen minutes to make our way to the platform." With that, Edward detached himself from Bella and strode out of the room.

"Edward, where are you going?"

"To get my guns and my bullets. If anyone else has any, then I suggest they do the same."

~X~

Jacob stood nervously by his father and Sheriff Swan at the back of the line of men gathered outside the doctor's house. They'd been waiting here for two hours and there'd been no movement from inside—Jacob didn't understand what the holdup was.

"Why don't we just go in there? Why are we waiting?"

Sheriff Swan answered him. "Because if we go in there, there's a chance that Bella might get killed. At the moment we have them under siege, and they have to come out some time."

"Right." Jacob still felt impatient—it was killing him standing here knowing that Bella was so close.

Kicking the sand off of his shoes, he looked up as he heard a distant whistle.

"What is that?"

Aro Volturi also looked in the direction of noise. "The train. He's going for the goddamn train." His face twisted into a look of fury, and there was a sudden flurry of activity.

"I want someone covering every inch of the way to the station—move now" At Caius's request, the posse fired into action.

~X~

Inside the building, the clock on the wall ticked loudly in the otherwise silent room. Emmett positioned himself in readiness at the side door, with Rose, Carlisle, Edward, and Bella waiting behind him. In addition to Edward, Carlisle was armed with a pistol, and Rosalie, Esme, and Alice had rifles.

For the past two hours they'd all prepared for this moment, which had come around far too soon. It was only now that time seemed to pace itself and slow.

Esme and Alice waited in the parlor and bedroom upstairs, ready to provide cover when the time came. At twenty-five past the hour, Emmett and Rosalie gave each other an unrestrained demonstration of their affection for one another, before getting back into position.

Edward lowered his head to give Bella a slow kiss. "I love you, Bella. No matter what happens, remember that."

"I love you, too, Edward. Always."

Edward's heart began to race as the time grew near. When the hand switched to half past, he breathed, "Now!"

Emmett burst through the door and leaped onto the sandy ground between the Cullen house and the next building, making his way to the door opposite with his shoulder braced for impact. It cracked and fell away easily. Rosalie and Carlisle followed, firing their weapons in the opposite direction to the other, and then finally, Edward and Bella also crossed the way. As they stepped up and through the doorway, a rain of bullets hit the woodwork behind them.

Scarcely breathing, Bella allowed Edward to lead her by the hand, trusting him to make the right choices. The cover of the next building ended, and Edward raised his pistol to fire at a target to Bella's right as they leaped out of another doorway, hitting a wall and changing direction sharply.

Ahead of her, Bella could see the bounce of Rosalie's blonde waves and Carlisle by her side. Edward led her around a corner, past the barrels she'd hidden behind the previous day, up a porch, and inside another building. All the time, bullets whistled past them, clanging against metal or sending tiny splinters into the air like confetti.

Bella saw tables pushed out of the way as Emmett raced upstairs and the others followed—they were inside the saloon.

Following an L shaped corridor, Bella found herself dragged through a bedroom, and as she climbed through a window onto a balcony, Rosalie was standing to her left, firing her rifle. Edward continued along the way, yelling, "Jump!" as they crossed a short gap between the balcony of the saloon and the flat roof of the adjacent building.

Bella became aware that she could now only see Carlisle ahead, occasionally turning to aim his pistol. Only Edward's iron grip kept her from turning around to see what had happened to Emmett and Rosalie.

~X~

Once Edward Masen and the Cullens burst through the door, Jacob took cover while a tall blonde fired a rifle in his direction.

His heart sank as he realized that Bella was being used as a human shield. To his surprise, many of the others he stood with fired regardless.

"What are you doing? You're going to hit her." Jacob looked up to the man on his right, who responded with a sneer.

Panicking about Bella's wellbeing, Jacob took off down the street, his dark hair flowing like a banner behind him. He fell to the ground for cover as the kidnapper fired off a few rounds and then dragged Bella around the back of the saloon. Cautiously, Jacob made his way over the road and took the same route.

As he turned a corner, he found he had a clear shot at the blonde, but then Masen and Bella climbed out of the window behind her. Jacob lowered his rifle, putting his back against the wall while the blonde took a turn to shoot.

Jacob cursed as he saw a Volturi man across the road still firing even though Bella was exposed. He was relieved when the blonde finally took him down.

Once it was clear, Jacob poked his head out far enough to see Bella and her captor on the next roof. Running along the length of the porch of the saloon and leaping over the wooden fence, Jacob then sprinted along the porch of the next building.

As he reached the end, he saw a young girl lying on the ground on the middle of the road, screaming. For a second, he thought it was Bella, but then realized that she was just wearing a similar dress. Next to her, a man lay on the floor face down.

Jacob rushed over. "Miss, you have to get off the street." The girl only wailed louder and hugged the dead man, so Jacob picked her up and dragged her to the side, just as a hail of bullets hit the motionless corpse.

"Stay here. Don't move."

Listening to the gun shots, Jacob realized that all the action was moving further down the street toward the railway. Taking a second to think about his next move, Jacob decided to take a wider route, off the main drag and back up along the tracks themselves. It would be longer, but there'd be less gunfire to keep him pinned down.

Waiting for the right moment and then running across the street, he thought he heard his father shouting his name, but he didn't stop to listen.

Making his way unhindered, Jacob found himself at a pen of cows that would bring him all the way up to the platform. Climbing inside and hearing the gunshots getting closer, he crouched down low, using the cows as cover.

~X~

Edward, still dragging Bella behind him, leaped onto the sloping side of the roof, sliding down and landing clumsily on solid ground. A quick look told him that Bella had also managed the drop, and then, as the bullets followed them, he pulled Bella up the steps and around the corner that led to the platform.

As close as they were, he still didn't dare to hope—his pistol had run out of bullets about five minutes ago, and he didn't have the time to stop and reload.

Stepping foot on the wooden planks, he pulled back quickly as he saw a large hulking shape waiting there. Felix also saw Masen and lifted his gun, embedding a number of bullets in the ticket office that they ducked behind.

Dropping behind some barrels, Felix's large fingers opened the gun to reload. Pushing the bullets inside the chambers, he dropped the weapon as a large shape dropped on him from above.

Edward leaped onto Felix, and they rolled across the platform. Luckily, Edward found himself on top as they came to a halt, and gave the Volturi man a number of hard hits with his right fist before he was thrown off. Scrambling to his feet, the wind was knocked out of him as Felix charged and crushed him against the wooden wall of the main building.

Taking a couple of punches to the stomach, Edward managed to croak, "Bella, get on the train." Then Felix's hands were around him and he felt himself fly through the air, before being pulled back and hitting the ground with a sickening crunch.

Meanwhile, Bella ran across the platform and grabbed the abandoned gun, trying to put the bullets that had fallen out back inside. Once loaded, Bella held it in a shaky hand, but Edward and Felix were too close together for her to risk firing and killing the wrong person.

Felix grabbed Edward, lifted him into the air, and then plunged him back to earth. The noise Edward made as he landed gave Bella the final push to be able to do what was needed. As the Volturi man stood over her love, she had a clear shot—pulling the trigger, Bella fired twice. One of the shots caught Felix in the neck and he fell backwards, sliding down the wall.

Her hand over her mouth in shock at what she'd done, Edward got to his feet and limped over to where she was.

"Bella! Bella, are you okay?"

She nodded, and then threw her arms around him and kissed him.

Pulling away quickly, though he wished that he didn't have to, Edward took Bella by the hand and dragged her the final few feet to the train. Using his unbroken arm to help ease her up into the opening of the freight car, he made sure she was inside securely before making a move to climb in himself.

Bella rolled over on the dusty wood, smiling in relief as Edward prepared to climb up, too. Reaching out to give him a hand, he went to take it, but was stopped by a sudden resounding crack. Edward's face went blank, and he slumped out of sight.

Outside, Bella saw Aro Volturi's right hand man, Horatio Caius, with his pistol still aimed.

Unable to move, Bella could only stare as she heard the train give out a long whistle, and the distant sound of steam hissing.

Another shot rang out and Caius fell backwards into the dust. A short while later, there was a grunt, and Edward landed clumsily on the floor of the car.

"Oh, thank God." Bella dropped to her knees, and helped pull a heavy Edward inside.

~X~

Jacob could see the large Volturi pacing up and down on the platform, and was about to climb out of the cow pen to join him when the henchman pulled out his gun and started to fire. As he stopped to reload, Masen leaped onto him and sent them both to the floor. There was a struggle on the platform while Jacob made his way along the side of the train in Bella's direction—to try and get her out of harm's way while the others were distracted.

He almost fell over in surprise when Bella picked up the gun from the floor and shot the Volturi twice.

Hiding between two cars, Jacob took deep breaths while he tried to understand what had happened.

"Bella? Bella, are you okay?" he heard the kidnapper say.

Jacob peeked around the corner to see Bella take Masen in her arms and kiss him. Her kidnapper then took her by the hand and helped her climb up inside the train. Before Masen could jump in after her, Jacob caught sight of the blond guy with the scowl that usually seemed permanently attached to Aro Volturi's side. Caius lifted up his gun and fired.

Without thinking, Jacob lifted his rifle and fired it at the Volturi man, barely waiting for him to hit ground before closing the distance between himself and Masen's body lying slumped on the floor. Lifting it up, he pushed it inside the car as best as he could.

"Oh, thank God." The sound of Bella's relief was soul-crushing, but Jacob pushed Masen's legs inside, and then jumped up himself, pulling the door closed as there was a sudden lurch and the train began moving.

"Jacob?" Bella was leaning over Masen, cradling him into her.

"Is he alive?" Jacob looked down to see a weak-looking Masen staring back at him.

"Only just." The man tried to laugh, but it came out more as a cough. A thin trail of blood fell from the side of his mouth. "We made it, Bella."

Edward lifted his hand to Bella's cheek, closing his eyes and smiling as he felt its softness.

"We did it. We made it, Edward." A fat tear rolled down Bella's cheek. She could see how red Edward's borrowed shirt was getting, and the color looked harsh against the clean crisp white.

Jacob shifted in a little closer, pulled the shirt out of Edward's pants, and then winced as he saw the extent of his wound, which was ugly and bleeding.

"Leave it. No use in prodding around. I'm done for," Edward slurred, and then gave a slight lop-sided smile before looking up at Bella again. "I want you to be the last thing I see."

"Edward..." Bella tried to force her words past the lump in her throat.

"A guy like me was never going to make it to old age, Bella. It's no matter. If I could go back a few days, I wouldn't change a thing. You're the best damn thing that ever happened to me. It would have been nice to have a little more time…to make you Mrs. Masen for real…"

Bella sniffed as more tears fell. "But you can't die. I need you here with me."

Edward coughed. "You'll be fine. You're the strongest woman I know. You don't need me."

"I do." Bella pulled Edward closer. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Bella." Edward replied quietly.

Jacob watched the exchange without saying another word, sitting with his back against a crate. He wished that there was something that he could do or say to make things better. What did you say in a situation like this? There were no words.

Instead, he held back and considered other things, like how everything he once thought was just and right had turned out to be corrupt and evil. An anger began building in the pit of his stomach, but he swallowed it down—there would be a time and a place to let it all out, but this wasn't it.

After a few moments, Edward's body grew limp, though his unseeing eyes remained focused on Bella. Bella's sobs became more desperate, as she rested her head on his still chest.

The train rumbled on regardless, and after what seemed like a very long time, Bella edged her way from Edward's body to where Jacob sat. Jacob wound his arm around her and allowed her to cry herself out.

~X~

**Okay, so there are probably a few people wanting to lynch me. Before you do that, PLEASE read the fi****nal part. It will help make it better—I promise.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Halfway to Repentance**

_All Stephenie's. Make love, not war, people._

~X~

PART EIGHT

~X~

Arizona, 1884 (Seven Years Later)

Jacob showed Carlisle Cullen out of the door of the sheriff's office. Though it always killed him to see the broken expression on the doctor's face, Repentance's newest deputy knew he owed it Dr. Cullen to be able to look him in the eye.

Widowers' row—that's what they called the drunken regulars who sat at the saloon bar day after day, but Dr. Cullen had been strong enough to avoid finding solace in alcohol, despite what had happened to his family. The sacrifice that he had given would have driven many men mad, but not the good doctor.

In the beginning, it was sympathy that had gotten him voted into office. Now, it was sheer amazement at the difference six years with Carlisle Cullen as mayor could make to this small town.

He often came around the sheriff's office for company, seeing as his surviving daughter was now the sheriff's wife. Being his only kin left, Carlisle worried for Alice, but he'd left her in safe hands when it came to Jasper Whitlock.

Repentance's longest serving sheriff was out of town, dealing with a couple of hell-raising twins that were causing havoc around the new settlement near what used to be the Denali place.

Repentance wasn't the kind of place that waited quietly for its sheriff to return, but it was getting better, and Jacob was glad to say that the undertaker was steadily getting less and less business through his doors.

After Harry's death and his father losing use of his legs during the Repentance shoot out that fateful day, Jacob had been offered the deputy position over in New Volterra. He'd refused immediately; he'd rot in hell before he did a day's work for Aro Volturi. It was impossible to respect the man after seeing just how ugly he could be.

It wasn't just Jacob who thought that—Charlie had taken early retirement and removed his sheriff's star the second he'd stepped foot back in New Volterra.

The memories automatically took Jacob back to Bella, and those first months when she'd been utterly destroyed. To look at her, with her sunken eyes and grey complexion, it was if she'd died along with Edward Masen on that train.

But Jacob had been there to help pick up the pieces. He was there whenever she needed him—no matter what that might involve. A friend, a shoulder to cry on…a husband…

She was damaged, he understood that, and the wound would never completely heal. But when little Edward was born, she'd started to smile again, now that she had something to live for.

To this day, she still got that look when he caught her thinking about _him_. Edward Masen Junior. Jacob couldn't reach her on those days, and he respected that. He would be there waiting for when she was ready to come back to him.

Right now, Bella was over in New Volterra at her father's wedding. He had to admit that, given past history, he'd worried about the distance, but Bella was now a crack shot with a rifle. Jacob chuckled at the thought of anyone trying to kidnap her now.

Besides, she had her father-in-law to drive the wagon. Though he'd had his legs shot out from under him, Billy Black was still an excellent shot. No—Bella was as safe as houses. Jacob wished that he was there with her, but the deputy had to stay until the sheriff returned.

Who knew…maybe Jasper would have those twins dealt with, and Jacob might be free in time to escort Bella and the kids home? Although, Alice was probably desperate to see her husband, especially considering that she was expecting.

They often had dinner together—mayor, sheriff, deputy, and their two wives. The bond of loss and tragedy had brought them together, and between them, they were bringing the town out of the gutter.

Jacob stopped and looked at himself in the old mirror by the door that Jasper often used to shave. Since his first visit to Repentance, he was older, wiser, less quick to judge, and more willing to look deeper than the surface. That was the lesson that the whole experience had given him.

The wizened old drunk in the cell heckled him. "You're still beautiful, boy." He cackled.

"Well, at least one of us is." Jacob turned away from the mirror he'd forgot that he was looking at and smiled. "Isn't this the part where you tell me how you used to be the best looking man in town until you crossed Aro Volturi?"

"True story, son. You want stories about Aro Volturi? I can tell you plenty."

Jacob wandered over to the bars, and then topped up Old Man Banner's cup—not that he'd drank much. The old guy wasn't fond of water.

"What you got for me today? You might as well entertain me until you pass out."

"Few years ago, before you became deputy, a wanted man holed himself up in the old Cullen place where the good sheriff lives now. Edward Masen Junior—mean son of a bitch. Rumor has it he burned up the old Denali ranch."

"Is that so?"

"Yup. Shot all the whores living up there—made a lot of unhappy men in this town, I tell you." The old man gave a wheezy laugh. "Mrs. Whitlock had an older sister. Beautiful, she was—like a goddess. Had her a fiancé built like a bear—could crush a barrel like 'that'." The wizened storyteller demonstrated with his own frail arms.

Jacob shifted in his seat, not letting on that he'd actually witnessed the event being described.

"This Masen convinced 'em all to help him catch a train. Waited until the very last minute then they made a run for it. Goddamn, it was a sight to be seen. That Rose Cullen—six feet tall, she was, and looked like a warrior woman. Killed fifteen men. It's said that Aro Volturi was the one to shoot her himself. When her fiancé found out, he launched himself at Mr. Volturi. Damn near killed him with his fists before they took him down, too. True story."

"I think I heard that somewhere once. Oh wait, you told me that one last month—but wasn't it ten men she killed?"

"Nope, definitely fifteen."

Jacob shook his head, and then frowned as his mind took him back to that day.

~X~

Aro Volturi climbed down from his carriage, grabbed his walking stick, and made his way up the path. Limping and twisted, he found it difficult to travel across the rough ground.

"Bang!" A figure jumped out from behind a bush and Aro automatically reached for his pistols, only to remember that they were now replaced with a pocket watch. After a few tense seconds, Aro realized that his attacker was only a boy with a stick as his rifle.

Aro laughed and clutched his chest. "You got me, boy. You got me."

A smile broke across the little boy's face, and then another smaller red-skinned boy jumped out from behind a rocking chair on the porch, pointing two smaller sticks in Aro's direction.

"I'll make you famous, old man." Aro couldn't help but chuckle at the mean look on this face. Charles Swan certainly had him some future gunslingers in the family. Maybe he'd have a word about setting up some kind of apprenticeship now, while they were still young and impressionable.

"Seth Uley, you come here now." An Indian girl marched along the porch, and then froze as she saw Mr. Volturi standing there. "I'll go get someone, Mr. Volturi. One moment."

She disappeared, dragging Seth along behind her, leaving Aro alone with the first tiny gunslinger.

"How old are you, boy?"

"Six, Sir."

"I could use a few ace shots like you. What's your name?"

"Edward Masen Black, Sir."

Aro froze. "Is that so?" Taking in the boy's white skin, brown hair, and green eyes, he wondered for a moment, only to be interrupted when Isabella Black appeared.

"Mr. Volturi."

"Isabella. Such a pleasure to see you again—it's been too long."

Bella looked between her father's former employer and her son. "The reception's out back in the garden. Follow me."

She turned on her heel and Aro followed after as best as he could.

"Fine boy you have there, Mrs. Black."

Bella swung around suddenly, her voice serious and threatening. "You stay away from my son, Mr. Volturi. You might own my father, but my son will never have anything to do with you, do you hear?"

Aro was taken aback—he wasn't used to being spoken to like this by anyone, let alone a woman. Especially not a woman with a native for a husband.

"Quite a light complexion he has there—for a half cast. Why, he doesn't even look red-skinned at all." Aro gave a cruel smile, expecting a look of shock or shame, but instead Bella smiled.

"Oh, don't you worry. I intend to make sure that my son knows all about his heritage, Mr. Volturi."

She continued down the path to where everyone was gathered to congratulate Charlie Swan, retired sheriff, on his marriage to Sue Clear Water. As Aro Volturi hobbled past, their eyes met in complete understanding.

_So…now he kn__ows,_ Bella thought, and then walked over to the pram in the shade to make sure the twins were still sleeping. Esme and Rosalie Black—named after the women who'd given their lives to make sure that Bella got to that train.

Mrs. Black smiled as she looked down at her girls—they had their father's bronze skin and dark hair, and they were going to be strong just like him, too. Jacob was the perfect husband and father to all Bella's children, even Edward—treating him as if he was his own.

It hadn't taken Bella long to realize that she was pregnant, and worried about the men that had killed her baby's father coming to take the little piece of Edward that remained inside of her. She'd asked Jacob to marry her—to help keep the secret.

It wasn't until later that she found out about Aro's weakened state, and how without his fire and drive, the Volturi were beginning to lose a grip on things. Certainly, New Volterra had suffered now her father had retired.

Knowing that Aro Volturi was a shadow of the man that he used to be made Bella feel much more secure by the time she gave birth to little Edward.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear; Edward came around the side of the house and stood by the pram.

"Momma, who was that man?"

Bella bent down with her handkerchief and spit wiped a spot of mud away from his face. There wasn't a day when he didn't remind her of his father.

"I'll tell you when you're older, but now, give your momma a hug."

~x~ The End ~x~

**Okay...so I've had a bit of a bad response. Here are a few commonly recurring questions/statements/flames, that I will answer here.**

_1) I hate you. Eat sh*t and die._

_My response - wow...that's really mean. Please don't forget that I'm a person-I have feelings. Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all? Constructive criticism, however, is always welcome. You don't need to swear, call me rude names, or threaten me to get your point across._

_2) Why did you kill Edward?_

_Well, firstly, because that's the story that came to me. Halfway was inspired by Blaze of Glory and 3:10 to Yuma, neither of which really lends itself to happily ever after. Also, I'm a heavy angst writer-that's what I do. Usually, I attract the same readers who seem to like what I do and the way I do it. I never envisaged this story being so popular and attracting so many readers who exist beyond my comfort zone. Also, I really couldn't see a way that Bella and Edward could live happily ever after in this situation. They barely know each other, and as we all know from Speed, relationships based on extreme circumstances don't last._

_3) I should have put a warning saying non-canon pairings/flagged by story as B&J._

_I think that statement wouldn't be hugely accurate. Although ExB is the widely accepted OTP in Twific (and please bear in mind that I've never written to please the masses-I write to please myself, and that's usually canon world non-canon pairings) there was something between Tanya/Edward and Bella/Jacob in canon. In fact, I went out of my way to include as many canon elements in this AH as possible. I think one chapter out of eight does not a TxE or BxJ make. I'm sorry if you disagree, but that's how I feel about that._

_4) Disclaimers. I should use them._

_Hmmm...wouldn't that spoil my shock ending? I think most of my usual readers have already checked this out, so for the sake of new readers coming after I will add something as non-spoilery as possible. I never once read a book that told you the ending on the first page, but we'll see what I come up with._

_5) You ruined your story with the ending._

_Actually, no I didn't. In my eyes, the ending was perfect and as I wanted it to be. I wrote it for me and decided to share it with others, should they choose to read it. Whether you liked the ending or not is a matter of personal opinion. You might be mad with me because I killed your favourite character, but remember what your mother taught you...please. (BTW, rude reviews will no longer be replied to. I feel as if I've replied to one too many. I ALWAYS reply to nice reviews or constructive criticism, because that's just polite, and because I'm grateful for them.)  
><em>

_6) Immacculate Conception_

_Just because you didn't hear the squelches, doesn't mean it didn't happen. I was going for subtlety and a plot twist. The sex was there. (Between chapters 6 and 7, if you were wondering. The clue was Bella putting her clothes on.)_

IF YOU'RE STILL FEELING LIKE YOU NEED TO SEND ME DEATH THREATS, WALK AWAY. IT'S JUST A STORY. IT WASN'T SICK OR PERVERTED...THERE WAS A CHARACTER DEATH. IT HAPPENS...JUST LOOK AT A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE.


	9. Extra Chapter  The Right Kind of Man

**Extra Chapter – The Right Kind of Man**

For Boo Whitlock—thanks for the reviews, the support, and the inspiration for this one shot.

Starting during the dash for the train, this is the story of Jasper and Alice.

Jasper POV

Crouching low behind a barrel, Jasper cursed out loud as the situation somehow got worse.

He'd instructed his own men to try and take Emmett and the Cullens alive, but it seemed that Aro Volturi hadn't given his posse the same instructions.

"That's my daughter—you're shooting at my daughter!" Sheriff Swan was yelling, though everyone else's attention was elsewhere.

Staying with his New Volterra counterpart, Jasper followed the cover down the street as best as he could. If someone managed to put a bullet in Bella Swan, he didn't doubt that Sheriff Swan would try something crazy. Not being a father himself, Jasper had no idea how it felt to watch your little girl being dragged down the road by a known murderer while they were being shot at from all sides, but looking at Swan's face gave him a pretty good idea.

"Rose!" Jasper heard a strangled yell in the distance, and then a bloodcurdling roar that could only come from Emmett.

Cursing again, he ran around the corner, pausing only to check that the coast was clear. Hurtling over the dirt, he saw Emmett charging at Aro Volturi, his men floundering—some of them struggling to reload, others stepping forward, their fists held up in readiness.

Emmett cut through them like a knife through butter, picking Aro up as if he were a child's ragdoll; the noise they made as they crashed into the wooden wall of the tanners would have been enough to make a lesser man sick to his stomach. It didn't stop there—still roaring, Emmett aimed a succession of powerful right hooks at the Volturi man's face.

"Goddamn it, Emmett," Jasper whispered under his breath, but froze as he saw one of Aro's men pull out his gun and fire. The Sheriff had to turn his head away as he watched Emmett drop to the floor.

How was he going to be able to tell Old Mrs McCarty? Jasper sucked air deep into his lungs as he remembered numerous childhood misadventures with Emmett and his brothers.

Realizing that he was now standing in the middle of the street without any cover, Jasper turned and saw a crumpled human being lying in the dust not far from where he stood. Her long blonde hair blowing like grass in the wind identified her before he recognized Dr. Cullen on his knees by his oldest daughter's side.

Looking in the direction of the train station, Jasper saw that the gunfight was moving further away. Should he follow it, or had he already decided that he wanted no more part of what it had become?

The Cullens are good people, he told himself. Repentance was a hellhole, but he'd never seen the likes of today. Somehow the lines of right and wrong had gotten all blurred again, and now the supposedly good guys were acting like villains. He found himself sympathizing more with those on the opposite side to where he'd started out.

Jasper came to a halt standing above Rosalie and the good doctor. "Is there anything I can do?"

The girl was panting, and there were a number of red wet patches on her blouse. "Daddy..." she gasped. "Emmett...is he okay? Don't let..him do anything...stupid."

Quickly, Dr. Cullen looked up at Jasper, warning him not to say a word. "Emmett's fine, Rose. Emmett's fine."

A flicker of a smile crossed her face, as her father unfastened her buttons and winced at the wounds. He then looked up at Jasper again, speaking with a low and serious tone. "I need to stay here with her. Please will you make sure my wife and my other daughter are okay? They're still in the house."

With a grave nod Jasper turned to go. He didn't need medical training to know that the doctor wasn't staying with his oldest child to treat her, but to say goodbye. His heart weighed heavy as he wondered how many others that didn't deserve to die would be making business for the local funeral parlour today.

When he saw a known thief jump out of the Cullens' back door, he broke into a sprint. Someone else ran out of the side door Emmett had burst through not twenty minutes earlier, their arms laden with what looked like a table cloth and a clock.

"Drop that!" the Sheriff yelled, firing his pistol in the air, but by then the boy had made it around the corner. When he stepped through the door frame himself, he saw that they hadn't been the only looters.

"Get out of this house now!" Jasper's anger was so clear that the opportunists stopped what they were doing. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"

Shamed faces shuffled past him, but he didn't doubt that one or two still had some of the Cullens' personal property tucked inside their coats or up their sleeves. He would have stopped them, but instead the sound of screams from upstairs caught his attention.

Pushing through the final looters, Jasper took the first flight of stairs three at a time, but grew more wary as he attempted the second flight.

In amongst women screaming he could hear men's voices—thick accented European. When he turned the corner, he was in time to see Alice Cullen's feet disappear through the loft hatch. Still high up the ladders was Mrs. Cullen, being clutched at by two unsavoury characters that Jasper had kept eyes on since they'd arrived in town a week ago.

They both had a grip of Esme Cullen's feet and dress and she tried to shake them off. As Sheriff Whitlock finally drew close he shouted, "Hey there!" All three pairs of eyes turned in his direction.

The strangers—Romanians, he'd thought he'd heard his deputy say—let Esme go. The force with which she had been pulling herself away and their sudden decision to leave her be unbalanced her, and she came crashing to the floor, bashing her head against the wall as she came down.

The twisted position of her neck told him that he didn't need to take a closer look.

Fighting back tears of frustration, Jasper squeezed his trigger finger instinctually. The bulkier, swarthier of the two stumbled against the wall, leaving a red smear as he slid down it.

As Jasper aimed in the direction of the other, the Romanian uttered something in his native tongue, and then said, "We did not kill her. We did not wish to do that, I swear."

Jasper snarled, "I know exactly what you intended to do. Downstairs" He motioned with his gun." I swear to God you're going to hang for this."

As his captive protested his innocence, Jasper marched him outside, but stopped when he saw a dazed and confused Charlie Swan.

"Sheriff Swan. Sheriff Swan!" Jasper yelled, and finally caught his attention. "Here are my keys—put this guy in the cells. Do you hear me?"

Sheriff Swan nodded, but not in a way that said that he was fully there in the moment. He was a broken man.

Not entirely sure of Sheriff Swan's competence, Jasper decided to leave his prisoner in his custody anyway. Heading back inside the house, he made his way back up both flights of stairs, and then climbed up the old wooden ladders to the loft.

As his head appeared through the square hole, something hard and breakable smashed over his head with a long crash, and for a second he thought that he was going to fall, too, until he found his footing and caught a rung with his hand.

He blasphemed loud, the palm of his hand pressing against where whatever it was struck him. His head throbbed and his hand came away red.

Attempting to climb up again, this time he was met with a scrambling teenager and a hail of wordless screams.

"Alice. Alice! Stop it—I'm here to help." Grabbing her wrists, he finally managed to keep the writhing girl from scratching his face. Once she was still, he looked down into her wild green eyes, and repeated it again. "I'm here to help."

A few breathless seconds later, sense came back to her, though her eyes were still wide and distressed.

"Who's Alice?" the girl asked.

~X~

If the shootout seemed surreal, crazy even, then it had nothing on the aftermath. Aro Volturi's men, Sheriff Swan, and various other people, familiar and strangers, came in and out of his office, most of them shouting.

Unsure of when he last managed to close his eyes for even a moment, eventually he had to give in and leave Sheriff Swan in charge. He stepped outside to find that it was still daylight, even if he wasn't sure of the exact day. The bright sun hurt his eyes.

Dizzy, he was very dizzy, and he could swear he was beginning to hear voices and see things that weren't there. He was sick and he knew it, but if he went to see a doctor that would mean facing Carlisle Cullen.

What was a little dizziness compared to what that man had gone through? He'd lost his wife, his oldest daughter, and his future son-in-law. A few hallucinations were nothing in comparison to losing so many people you loved.

Mrs. McCarty agreed as she walked up the street beside him, though Jasper knew she'd dropped down dead when Billy Black Wolf had given her the news of Emmett's death a day earlier.

The native had been indispensible over the last few days, doing whatever Jasper had told him, despite being wounded himself. If he managed to get through this with his wits and his badge still pinned to his chest, maybe he would offer him the Deputy's job. The previous holder of that title had perished during the gun fight.

Stumbling up onto the Cullens' porch, Jasper found himself knocking on the door. It took a while, but eventually the door opened. Dr. Cullen stood there, his eyes red and his face grey.

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I'm not seeing any patients—Sheriff?" The doctor's face dropped its scowl as he recognized who it was knocking. "You don't look well. Come inside."

Jasper snorted. The doctor hardly looked well himself, yet he helped him into a chair and removed his hat. It didn't take Doctor Cullen long to find the wound on the top of the Sheriff's head.

"You're in a bad way, Sheriff. One moment—I'll get my equipment."

The doctor rushed out of the room and slurring, Jasper called after him, "I'll wait right here!"

By the time Carlisle came back, the sheriff was slouched in the chair, unconscious.

~X~

A while later, Jasper woke up in a dark room, a candle burning by his bed. His eyes caught movement in the corner of the room and he startled, then groaned as he felt his head throbbing at the sudden shift in position.

Reaching his fingers up to where it stung, Jasper found that part of his hair was gone, and most of his head was bandaged. Before he could touch the tender spot, the shadow spoke.

"Leave it be." The blond doctor stepped into the circle of flickering light. "It'll heal quicker."

Relaxing himself, Jasper put his sore head back on the pillow. "Doctor Cullen. Sorry, I didn't mean to impose on you like this."

Sad eyes rested on the sheriff. "You don't owe me an apology."

He fell silent for a while.

"When I came back to the house...with Rose...found my wife..." The doctor's voice broke and he shook his head. "I swore that no man that had been involved in what happened would ever be allowed through my door. Let what wounds they had gotten kill them, if that's what God wanted. He takes whoever pleases him—who am I to stand in his way?

"But you were the only one to come up and offer help that day, when I was holding my daughter...watching her die. When I climbed those steps and saw Esme I thought I'd lost everything. If it wasn't for you, I might have. I have only one thing to live for now and that's Alice."

As still as a statue, Jasper waited for Carlisle to wipe a tear from his eye and swallow the lump from his throat, then asked, "Alice. Is she okay?"

"Yes, physically." The doctor's face was still sullen. "Hardly a scratch on her. Her mind, however..."

Not knowing what to say, Jasper simply lowered his eyes. When he'd found her in the loft, she had no idea who or where she was.

"She didn't even recognise me when I treated her. She called me 'doctor' instead of 'Daddy' like she always used to." Carlisle nodded in his patient's direction. "You, however, she won't stop talking about. She wants to know where the tall man with the red and yellow hair is. She thinks you're a hero, even if she has no idea what you saved her from."

"She still doesn't remember a thing?"

Carlisle shook his head.

"Maybe if I speak to her—" Jasper tried to sit up again, but groaned and slid back down, a wash of cold, black, dizziness flowing over him.

"Rest," the doctor said as he walked over to the door. "You need it. I'll send Alice up with your breakfast in the morning. You can speak to her then."

~X~

When Jasper opened his eyes the room was bright and for a moment he had to squeeze his eyelids tight shut again while he adjusted. His head still felt hot and tender but much better than it had been.

"Wake up, sleepy head. It's past ten." A female voice spoke to him, and he looked to his left. Sat on a chair pulled up close to the bed was little Alice Cullen. Her voice sounded older than she looked, and she was unexpectedly full of smiles.

Grunting, Jasper sat up in bed. "Apologies, Ma'am."

"Don't apologise. It's you that has to eat the breakfast I made. It seems that I'm not a very good cook, or at the very least I've forgotten how." She handed over a bowl of lumpy looking porridge, but dutifully Jasper took it and dug straight in. There was a distinct burned taste about it, and he imagined that it hadn't been much better warm.

"It's..." He struggled to find the right word.

"Yes, I know. I had some myself." She chuckled. "Don't worry. It won't poison you—I don't think."

Discarding his meal, he propped himself up. "Well, maybe I'll not take any chances."

Alice laughed, and it was musical. The fact that she _could_ smile answered Jasper's question before he could ask it.

"Are you okay? Have you remembered anything yet?"

The smile on her face drifted away, and she shook her head. "No, my first memory is still sitting in a dark loft, with you shaking me and telling me that you were there to help." Her chin lifted and she looked at the top of his head. "Apparently I did that. I got you good."

With an amused sniff, Jasper replied, "That you did."

Alice's face dropped. "I've not been very good company for my father. He worries about me—as if he didn't have enough on his mind. My sister...my mother...I can't say anything to make it better because I don't remember a single thing about them."

Jasper went to pat her hands but couldn't quite close the distance. "Just being here is probably a big help to him. He said as much last night."

"You think so? " Her tone told him that she didn't agree.

For a short while, they sat there in silence, and Jasper observed her for a while.

He'd always said that young Alice Cullen had something about her, and that when she grew into a woman she'd make a finer wife than her statuesque, curvaceous, blonde sister. Many a man had disagreed with him over a glass or two of whisky. Now Rosalie Cullen was gone before she'd been married, and it hit hard in his stomach when Jasper realized the pointlessness of the argument.

Alice, she had her mother's big green eyes, and where her mother and father had caramel or fair hair, Alice's hair was long, dark, and shiny. Before, he'd only ever seen it braided, but now it flowed around her shoulders, he fully appreciated just how beautiful she really was.

Though he'd seen her around a number of times, it was only now that he'd observed her up close. Where he'd always thought that she was around fifteen, he now saw that her slight height and thin limbs had lied to him.

"How old are you?" he asked allowed without realizing the words had passed his lips, and then he hung his head in shame, not least because he guessed that she probably didn't know herself.

"I—I don't remember. I don't remember a lot of things."

A male voice answered. "You're seventeen, Alice. Almost eighteen."

Carlisle Cullen appeared in the doorway and an awkwardness grew.

"I need to change your bandages, Sheriff. And if you're feeling up to it I may allow your visitor to come up."

"A visitor?" Jasper wondered who it might be. It seemed that Alice was equally as curious.

"Sheriff Swan—law enforcement matters, I guess. Repentance isn't a town that sits quietly by waiting for its sheriff to recover."

Alice reluctantly left the room, and as the doctor began removing the old bandages, he gave Jasper a pointed look in the eye.

"Remember, she's all I've got. Don't take her away from me."

Jasper opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish for a moment, and winced as his scalp felt tender. "No, sir. I haven't forgotten. A man doesn't forget an event like that lightly."

Unless they have amnesia, Jasper thought to himself. As flickering images of the second longest day of his life passed through his mind, he envied Alice Cullen's blankness.

~X~

Charlie Swan sat in the chair by the bed, toying with the hat in his hand. He wasn't as broken as he'd been the day of the shoot out, but the harrowed look in his eyes told that he was a changed man from when he'd first stepped foot in town. Repentance had a habit of doing that.

"Fifteen dead men and women—a lot of innocent bystanders. Aro Volturi has gone back to New Volterra in a bad way." For a split second, a look of distaste crossed Sheriff Swan's face which surprised Jasper. He'd had the New Volterra sheriff pegged as very much the Volturi's man—though he could understand how his opinions might have shifted recently. "A few wounded—the good doctor has agreed to amputate one of Billy Black Wolf's legs."

Jasper chewed on his lip for a while, and then asked, "What about your daughter? Billy's son? Have you heard from them?"

Wounded brown eyes stared back at Sheriff Whitlock. "Yes, Jake sent a message from Yuma. They're both fine. Bella's...gone through a lot and she's not thinking straight, but not a scratch on her. They're heading back this way on the next stage. Bella doesn't want to take the train...again."

Jasper nodded. The girl had survived—at least one good thing had come out of this. "Masen?"

Sheriff Swan shook his head.

The sombre moment passed and Jasper turned to more routine matters of law enforcement. Had they found some of the looters? Had there been any trouble since? It seemed that Riley Biers had gone missing in suspicious circumstances, with no witnesses or a body to be found.

"Am I still sheriff or has someone taken the position?"

Giving a humourless laugh, Charlie replied, "I don't think anyone would thank you for the job right now. I'm acting sheriff, and Billy is doing the best he can with his leg. When you're ready to come back, I'll gladly hand over the reins."

"You'll want to get back to New Volterra..."

That haunted look passed over Charlie Swan's face. "When I get back to my home in New Volterra I intend to retire immediately. I've seen too much—too many things that I can't reconcile myself with."

Jasper could sympathise with that. Repentance might be a mean town, but he'd take it over working for Aro Volturi any day...and those like him.

~X~

A while later, once Jasper had slowly began to ease himself back into the broken pieces of his old life, he was sat around the dinner table with his doctor and his daughter, who it seemed held somewhat of a growing infatuation with him.

"It'll be such a shame if he has to live somewhere else, Daddy," Alice pleaded, gesturing with her fork. "He rents rooms at the saloon and you know what it's like there. It'll be a wonder if he gets a wink of sleep. It won't be good for his recovery."

Jasper felt a little uncomfortable with Alice's enthusiasm, and turned to her father. "I'm not sure it will be entirely appropriate if I stay here for much longer. People might talk—"

"People can say what they like." Carlisle's usually soft voice was strong and authoritative, but then he shrank back. "I think what Alice is trying to say is that we've gotten used to having you around, Jasper. The house might feel a little...empty without you. We'd love you to stay if it suited you."

Jasper looked at the blond doctor and then his dark-haired daughter. "If you're sure it's no trouble, Dr. Cullen."

Alice grinned wide. "It's no trouble. Besides...you make me feel safe." There was no missing the flirtatious way in which she'd spoken.

Jasper almost choked on a morsel of food, and had to take a drink of water to wash it down.

Trying to change the subject, Jasper said, "I've asked Jacob Black Wolf to be my deputy. During...he proved himself to be quite the upstanding man."

"I'm sure he'll be an asset, Jasper," Dr. Cullen agreed. "I hear he has a new wife?"

"Yes." Jasper took another sip, knowing who his wife was and how she related to the elephant in the room.

"Who is Jacob Black Wolf, and who is he marrying? What are they like? Where are they staying?" Neither man rushed to answer Alice's questions, and after a while she started pouting. "Sometimes I just wish I could remember something about what happened. I can remember things like the fact the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, how to sew a button, and how to do a very bad job of cooking, but I hear names and...I try so hard to recall faces—especially the ones that I should know...but nothing."

"It may be a blessing that you can't remember." Jasper took another tentative mouthful.

"Your mind wants to forget, Alice. You saw a lot and it chose to black it out." Carlisle put a forkful of peas into his mouth.

"But I want to remember. For all I know my life began in that loft, just before I smashed a pitcher over Jasper's head."

"If and when God sees fit to bring your memories back, then he will do it in his own sweet time."

It was obvious to see that Alice wanted to talk about it more, but the look of pain on her father's face said that he was remembering enough for the both of them at that moment. Deflated, she wiped her mouth and excused herself from the table.

Feeling uncomfortable sitting at the table, Jasper went to do likewise but Carlisle bid him sit.

"It's been too long since I left my own front porch. Tell a little about what's going on in the town, Jasper. It might be good for me."

Because it was easier than silence, Jasper opened his mouth and a flood of information left him. Whether Carlisle was listening with genuine interest or because it was a distraction, it was hard to tell, but they sat there for quite some time.

"Old Alistair apparently got into an argument when he went over to New Volterra a few days ago, and when he came back he emptied that house of his and headed east. Never seen someone up sticks and leave so quickly."

Carlisle mumbled something to show that he was still listening.

"Oh, and the mayor has decided that he doesn't want to be re-elected for another term. He's found himself a much more lucrative deal working for Aro Volturi."

"It doesn't surprise me. He never seemed to have concern for anything more than lining his own pockets. It's about time we had someone who had Repentance's best interests at heart."

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Jasper finally said what was on his mind. "You should run for mayor."

Carlisle jolted himself upright. "Me? No. Never."

"Why not you? This town owes you a lot. Not just over what happened but the years you've spent treating the ill. You're a good, honest man—"

Carlisle slammed his hand down on the table. "_No.__I__will__not_." Jasper had never seen him so angry. A lot had happened to be angry about, but the doctor always seemed to swallow it down before it got too far. "This town has taken _everything_from me. I won't give it anything else. Not a damned thing!"

Jasper said nothing as Carlisle stared at him, red-faced. Instead, he pushed back his chair and slowly headed for the door. Before he passed through, the sheriff paused.

"Just seemed to me that you still cared, is all. Now, I can round up every man in that saloon, and everyone doing something they shouldn't, and maybe for one night Repentance might have a little peace. But if we're ever going to rest safely in our beds every night this town needs cleaning out from the dirt upwards.

"Now, I'm good at what I do. I can second guess what a criminal is thinking, and I can sling a gun reasonably well, but I'm not an educated man—I'm no good at fancy words and grand speeches. You could be."

Carlisle sat there in stony silence.

"If this town is going to change it's going to need more than one man trying to do it. You think on it, doctor."

Jasper closed the door quietly behind him and was halfway up the first flight of stairs when he heard something clatter to the floor in the dining room he'd left behind. Already aware that he'd said too much to the doctor who had shown him so much kindness, he decided to carry on up to bed. As he passed Alice's door, he pretended not to notice her eye through the crack.

Carlisle was too good of a man to hermit himself away like this, growing more and more bitter by the day. The sheriff wished he had half of that goodness himself.

Jasper knew enough of Carlisle now to see that he still had the capacity for compassion—after all, Repentance's sheriff had been a key player in the situation that had robbed the doctor of his family, and yet he received the best in medical care despite the rawness of Carlisle's loss.

He has it in him to great things, Jasper thought as he opened the door to his room and sat down on his mattress, pulling off his boots. People would see Doctor Cullen's ability to rise above as inspirational, and he could show others the way. He just had to realize it himself first.

Unbuttoning his shirt and removing his pants before climbing under his sheets, Jasper lay a while wondering whether his outburst in the dining room might have been more harmful than good.

~X~

A few months later, Jasper was sitting in his office talking with his deputy and a few men that helped if things got out of hand when the door flew open and in breezed Alice.

"Surprise! I brought lunch."

In her dainty hand Alice was holding up a wicker basket with a red and white cloth over the top. He nose wrinkled a little in disgust as she took in the heady atmosphere of testosterone and unwashed male, but then she decided to ignore it. "Don't worry—I didn't cook it myself."

The men suddenly straightened themselves, removed their hats, and mumbled a few pleasantries at the lady now in their midst, laying out plates of sandwiches and small cakes. On their way out the door, they helped themselves and made their excuses. One or two winking at their sheriff.

Once alone, Alice turned and smiled.

"I hope you don't mind me interrupting your meeting, but I found out something very important this morning."

"You remembered something?" When Alice's smile faltered, Jasper regretted the question, but she soon perked up once more.

"No...but Daddy told me this morning that today is my eighteenth birthday."

"Your birthday...I wish I'd known..." Jasper ran his hand through his hair, and wondered what kind of gift was appropriate for the daughter of the man who had barely spoken a word to you in months despite living under his roof.

"Don't be silly. You don't need to buy me anything. I have the perfect gift in mind and it will cost you absolutely nothing."

Alice's cheekiness made Jasper nervous. He could think of a number of "gifts" that cost nothing but would likely make him homeless. Just thinking of them made Jasper feel guilty, though he strongly suspected that Alice had intended to cause those exact thoughts.

"Sit," Alice commanded. Jasper did as he was told. "And while we eat you can give me my present. Something I don't have myself...memories. Tell me about your past."

Little Miss Cullen regularly asked for tales, but the truth was that much of Jasper's past beyond being a small boy and before he'd returned to Repentance weren't suitable for Alice's ears. Still, today was her birthday...how could he deny her?

"Okay, but whatever you do don't tell your father. Or anyone." Jasper knew she wouldn't, but he said it anyway just to be sure.

Feeling awkward, he told Alice about some of the times when he, Peter, and Maria had worked their way from town to town, travelling, seeing the world—or at least that had been the intention in the beginning. Peter had been much like himself, a younger brother of a family that didn't have quite enough to make ends meet, and who had decided to see what kind of a life they could make for themselves.

Initially it had been just the two of them, but then they'd met a girl called Maria in a seedy little place on the border. Maria was smart, savvy, and when she'd joined their little group, they'd abandoned good old fashioned odd-jobbing for less legal ways of making money—swindling people, mainly.

The Mexican girl had stolen Jasper's heart, and a strange kind of love triangle had formed between the group of friends, but Jasper left those sordid details out of the story—some things Jasper just wasn't ready to talk about. If Alice noticed how he sometimes cut himself short she didn't say, just sat there patiently listening, nibbling on a cake or a sandwich.

Once or twice things had gotten ugly, and because of a talent for violence that Jasper had discovered, he'd often found that it was left to him to fight their way out of a number of sticky messes. But he'd accepted that as the way of things—a fair exchange for the love of a good woman and the steadily increasing sums of money passing through their hands. Jasper spent a fair portion of his share on Maria—somehow it never seemed quite enough for her.

The trouble started when Peter had lost interest in their shared girlfriend, and fell for a quiet rancher's daughter called Charlotte. When he'd come by and told Jasper and Maria that he wanted to retire, to go straight and settle down with the woman he loved, Maria was furious.

In the end, Peter had stormed out, and after a night of passion harder than Jasper had ever known, his hopes of finally having Maria for himself had died.

"Kill him," she'd whispered in his ear. "Kill her. Please me." Then she'd proceeded to do things to him with her mouth Jasper had never even thought possible.

And that's when he realized—both he and Peter meant nothing to her, even after all they'd shared. Their friendship...the imagined love...the sex...all tools that Maria had used to make puppets out of her male companions. If it had been Jasper that'd had enough and wanted out, it would be Peter on the receiving end of her not-so-sweet nothings.

In the morning, he'd dressed himself, strapped on a gun belt, and walked out of the door, climbing on his horse to ride out to the ranch where Peter would be.

At first, Peter had welcomed him until he saw the look in his eyes.

He told them what Maria had asked, and that they needed to be gone and quickly. For a while Peter had refused, saying that he wouldn't leave Charlotte's family behind.

"Then take them with you, and all the cattle, too. Do what you have to do, and go. Just make sure you're gone before Maria sends our replacements out to look for us."

Jasper had turned his horse north, leaving behind all the wordly possessions he'd amassed with his friend and lover unless they were on his person. Eventually he'd found himself back in his home town of Repentance, and the rest was history, or so they said.

He'd gotten a letter from Peter and Charlotte a while back, congratulating him on becoming sheriff, and letting him know that they'd named their oldest boy after him. Though it was nice to hear from them, it was an unwelcome reminder of his past...and made him wonder if Maria was still alive, and whether she'd also heard where he was and what he was doing.

Maybe one day she'd show up on his doorstep...

After leaving the story on that cliff-hanger, Alice rewarded him with the biggest smile ever, and practically forced another cake into his mouth. Her eyes were all misty and full of awe, not the expression he had been expecting for such a dark tale.

"I envy you, having such exciting memories like that. You've lived, seen the world. I barely see anything unless it happens right outside my window."

Jasper nodded his head grimly. Alice had seen a lot more than she'd realized. Sometimes having a history could be painful, and there was no magic wand to take what you'd seen, heard, and done away afterward.

"Even if it was just for a day, I'd love to be able to remember my mother and my sister." She looked sheepish. "In the beginning, I used to smell their clothes, their dresses and such, just to see if that would bring anything back but it never did."

Jasper chewed slowly and said nothing—they'd had this discussion numerous times.

"Everyone tells me just how my mother was so kind and gentle, and how Rosalie was so perfect. Nothing. Always nothing."

"They tell you that Rosalie Cullen was beautiful, but no one is perfect. Your sister had thorns—she was a pistol. Full of fire." She'd often seemed angry, though Jasper knew of nothing for her to be angry about. All he knew was that her first fiancé had broken off their engagement, and the whole gang had been killed afterwards.

Alice's eyes grew wide with shock.

"I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me. I apologise." Jasper wished he could take back the words as Alice remained frozen into position.

Then she began to cry.

"Alice, I'm so sorry. I should never have said—"

His apology was cut off as she launched herself over the desk at him. Alice crushed her mouth against his as her arms wrapped around him tightly.

When she finally pulled away, it took a few stunned seconds for Jasper to realise that she wasn't sobbing, she was laughing.

"I remember. I remember."

Getting up out of his seat so Alice could sit in a more comfortable position than half on his knee, half in their middle of their lunch, Jasper watched her for a moment. How much did she remember? Had her memory really returned or was this a false alarm? Did she remember what had gone on _that_ day or was there a devastating moment of clarity yet to come?

Alice was determined that she wasn't going to stay calm and seated, and instead leaped up so Jasper had no choice but to catch her. Overwhelmed by her elation, he found himself swept up and when she bent down to kiss him as he swung her round, he had no urge to stop her.

"Jasper, I've been thinking about what you said—"

At that exact moment, Carlisle chose to walk through the door of the sheriff's office. His eyes saw Jasper kissing a tearful Alice in an awkward looking clench, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he came to a very wrong conclusion.

Jasper allowed Alice to slide to the floor, and she walked towards her father, arms held up. "Daddy, it's not what it looks like..."

Carlisle grabbed her by the hand, dragged her out of the building, and up the road to their house. Jasper followed.

"Carlisle. Doctor Cullen. Please listen for a moment."

Not stopping, Carlisle pulled Alice along. "I invited you into my home, treated you, and this is how you repay me?"

"Daddy! Just listen. We can explain."

Jasper suddenly became aware that they were creating a scene for the people on the street going about their business, and that it might come across the wrong way yet again.

As Carlisle climbed up the steps, Jasper slid through the rail and managed to stand in front of the door before the doctor could reach for the handle.

"Please, Doctor Cullen. Hear me out. I would never do anything to hurt or embarrass your daughter. I love her, and I promise you that my intentions are honourable."

Alice took a sharp intake of breath, but Carlisle only grew angrier.

"Get out of my way. You are no longer welcome under my roof, Sheriff Whitlock, and you're never to see my daughter again. Do you understand? Your kind has done enough damage. No more. _No__more.__"_

Finally relenting and stepping out of the way, Jasper felt his chest crumble as the Cullens' door slammed shut. Inside it was eerily calm until he heard the sound of heavy footsteps up and down the stairs.

The door flew open and a roughly packed bundle of belongings was thrust into Jasper's hands.

"You want a bed to lie in and a woman to lie in it with you. Head that way." Carlisle pointed toward the saloon. "Now go, and never come back."

Crushed, Jasper took the long walk back to the sheriff's office, too stunned to notice whether people were looking or not. Once inside, he found a corner for his worldly possessions and sat down.

He'd said the words. Finally, he'd admitted what he'd known for a long while but hadn't dared to allow himself to dwell on. He knew that Alice felt something too, so why did he feel so hopeless?

Yes, they could elope—Carlisle couldn't keep Alice in that house forever and when he did, Jasper would be there...

As nice as the dream was, Jasper knew he couldn't break his promise. He'd said that he wouldn't take Alice away from her father—she was the only thing keeping him going. It would break Carlisle, and how could Alice ever love him if he allowed that to happen?

Feeling the emotional agony, Jasper pulled his hat down over his eyes and allowed it to wash over him.

~X~

At first, Jasper thought he was dreaming, but the knocking was too persistent. Opening his eyes, he found that it was sunset, and that he'd fallen asleep in his old position, feet up on the table and leaning back into his chair.

The knocking sounded again, and clumsily Jasper got to his feet.

He almost fell over when he saw the blond doctor waiting outside.

"May I come in?" he asked politely, much calmer than earlier in the day.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Jasper motioned for him to step through the door and take a seat, and then wandered back around his desk across from him.

"It seems I owe you an apology for the way I acted earlier. I wasn't myself."

Jasper cautiously lowered himself into the chair. "That's okay. In the circumstances—"

"I don't like acting that way. I'm a man like any other, and a father so dependent on his daughter that when I saw...well, I'm sure you can guess what I saw...I saw red. You're not that type of man, Jasper. I should know it by now. You've proved it to me many times."

"I'm not perfect, Doctor Cullen, but you have to believe me when I say—"

"I do believe you. Alice explained everything. It seems that you have a knack for plain speaking that can bring a person back to their senses." Carlisle shifted in his seat. "If you hadn't already talked me into running for mayor myself, I'd back you all the way."

Jasper's eyebrows hit the rafters.

"I have to admit that I'd given up hope of Alice ever remembering anything, but speaking to her about Rose...and more comes back the more she talks..." He shifted awkwardly. "My family has dark secrets, ones that I thought I'd have to carry alone for the rest of my days. Being able to speak about my oldest daughter with someone who truly remembers her as she was is a gift I didn't think I'd ever have."

"Alice...is she okay?"

The doctor even managed a smile. "Alice is on top of the world. I don't think she knows which to thank you for first—helping her remember or saying that you love her. Either way, I think you've given her a birthday she'll never forget."

Jasper didn't dare to ask whether Alice had said anything about whether she loved him in return.

Carlisle took a deep breath. "You've made me realize that maybe I should wallow in what I've lost less, try not to be so bitter, and concentrate on what I still have...what I could gain." There was an expectant pause. "I've come to the conclusion that you could be a son-in-law that I can trust. And I know that you won't have to ask Alice twice should you be keen on the idea of officially joining the family."

Jasper's face wasn't wide enough for the grin that stretched across it. Somehow, when Doctor Cullen led him to his home, opening the door to find Alice biting her nails in the corridor, it grew even wider.

Jasper never did manage to officially propose to his future wife—instead her squeal as she ran to him was all the "yes" he needed.

~X~

THE END


End file.
